A Special Set of Dishes, by Sally

In my last blog, "Yes, Jesus Loves Me", I told the story of my friend Peggy, and how God really does love us. One of the reasons this is important to me, is because after being on three missionary adventures, it amazes me that women all over the world struggle with the fact that Jesus really does love them.

During all of my missionary endeavors, I met the most lovely, intelligent, godly women. And yet, they still struggled with this issue. They get it that Jesus loves Susan or Barbara, but not themselves. I guess we see all that is within us, and still struggle with realizing that God sees that too, and yet He still does love us. Truth is, yes He does. He even loves us in the little things.

One of the times that God really did show that to me was when we were on deputation for our assignment to Micronesia with the Liebenzell Mission. We planned a speaking engagement at my home church, First Baptist, in Flushing, Michigan. I had accepted the Lord there and had been taught Christian principles there in church and in their Sunday School program. I had accepted Jesus as my Savior during a Sunday School lesson one Sunday morning.

This was a special speaking engagement for us. At that time our sons had also decided that they wanted to be baptized, and they had chosen to be baptized in that church that same Sunday. At the end of the morning service they had gone forward to publicly acknowledge that they desired to be baptized. That evening, after our presentation for our work in Micronesia, they were baptized. It was a special night. But I did not know yet just how special.

Earlier the church had asked for a list of what we would need on the field. They shared that list with their parishioners. People gave gifts that were on that list at a lovely Missionary Shower after the service that night.

This was not an easy task to think of what you would need in the next several years. I had to figure out sizes for all three boys and just what would be sensible to ship overseas. On that list I had put a set of stoneware dishes. Earlier I had seen a set at a Montgomery Wards store that I had liked. It was blue, and I liked the color of the ecru with the pretty country blue. However, I didn’t tell anyone of that color combination that I had liked.

That Sunday evening, after our presentation, and the boys baptism, we walked back to the room where the Missionary Shower was, and I was shocked when I saw several tables laden with all kinds of goodies for us. But what shocked me most was there in the middle of a table was a set of stoneware that was very close to the one I had admired so much before. It had a lovely design of blue tulips on the dishes. I was overwhelmed by God’s love for me. Only He had known my color preference and taste. This set was perfect. They even had given us a double set.

I am amazed by God’s love and care even though I had not particularly prayed for these dishes, let alone prayed “specifically”. It made me so aware of His love for me even in the little parts of my life.

How about you? Do you have a "story" of how God has answered some little prayer that no one knew but you? Want to share?

Sometime it takes a life time to get that truth of His love seeped into all of our being. Keep at it. Keep believing that He especially does love you.

Blessings.

God’s Watchful Care, by Sally

This really doesn't have too much to do with Vessels and Flowers. It just has to do with walking with the Lord and seeing Him work in strange ways in our lives.

Maurice had just graduated from a one year Bible course at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon.. We had been accepted into Missionary Aviation Fellowship’s Orientation Class.

We had left Portland, on our way to Fullerton, California to begin our missionary adventures with MAF. We had everything we owned in our green van and borrowed homemade trailer. While driving down an Oregon highway, early in the morning, a car sideswiped our trailer and it and all its contents fell down an embankment. All of our belongings were strewn down the hill. We had some decisions to make. It happened that our son, Steve was sick and was getting sicker. He had a high fever and we were worried about him. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I did not want to be left alone on the highway while Maurice took Steve to a town nearby for a U-haul trailer and to take Steve to some doctor. So I opted for us all to go and prayed God would somehow watch over our belongings.

It took some time to get into a nearby doctor. He gave Steve some antibiotics and we then realized we were all hungry. We had little funds after a school year at Multnomah, so we drove to a grocery store and looked to see just how much funds we had. Besides the food and gas we would need on our trip, we now had an extra expense of the doctor and a rental trailer.

When I looked in my purse I saw an envelope that one of Morrey’s fellow students had given me at his graduation. I just thought it was probably a graduation card. It was, but it also had $50.00 in it. Wow!

We bought a few groceries, rented a trailer and drove back to our “accident” site.

When we arrived there was a gentlemen sitting in a lawn chair, smoking a pipe, and watching over our belongings. He said that he saw our things and was concerned that a salvage outfit would come along and take pick everything up believing it was abandoned.. He told us that a salvage company had come along and he had told them that we were not there then, but were coming right back. I have no idea how he knew that??

Of course, we profusely thanked him and in a second, he was gone.

It was an exhausting evening of getting the borrowed trailer to a station where it would be reclaimed by its owner, and gathering up and repacking all of our belongings.

When it was finally done and we were driving away, I wondered if Guardian Angels smoked pipes???
God does the most unusual things for us some times. Has He brought comfort and care for you lately? Want to share??
Blessings.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me! by Sally

One of our several missionary adventures was in the Micronesian Islands. We lived on a small island named Yap. My husband flew people and things out to a smaller island named Ulithi. There were several American peace corps folks who lived on Ulithi, who taught at the American system high school. I enjoyed a friendship with the wife of the superintendent of the school named Peggy. Besides teaching at the school, she occasionally baby-sat a cute little gal named Beth. Beth's Mom was also a teacher at the school. On one of my visits to Ulithi, Peggy couldn't wait to tell me her story. Peggy told me how she liked to sing to Beth before she took her nap in the afternoon, and occasionally Peggy sang the song, "Yes Jesus Loves Me". Peggy told me that one day she was beginning to rock Beth to get her to calm down for a nap. Beth told Peggy, "Please sing that song, 'Jesus Loves Peggy.'" Get it?? Not Jesus love me, but Jesus loves Peggy.

I think we all think that a lot. Sure Jesus loves Barbara. Barbara is so cute and adorable and nice. And Jesus loves Susan. Who wouldn't ?? But Jesus loves me??? Have to think about that. We look at others and see the bad, but mostly the good. We look at ourselves and are less forgiving. We know all that we have done and thought.

In earlier blogs I mentioned that V & F helps us to understand others and ourselves. Now I want to help us get a picture that V & F helps us to understand God better. I know that we will never, on this side of eternity, ever completely understand God. But one thing we can know is that Jesus does love us. We can start with John 3:16. His love caused Him to give us an opportunity to eternal life with Him. He has wonderful blessings of His grace, His forgiveness, His protection, etc., etc.

And also He was the one that designed just who we are. He chose what family we would be part of. He chose the color of our eyes, our hair, our complexion, and on and on. And He chose just what type of temperament we would have and what would be the way in which we would function. He chose that and knitted us together in our Mom's womb.

All of the information instilled in V & F leads me to realize just how much God does love me. He wants me to know my identity and how I am fashioned. During the journey of creating and writing V & F I came to realize that the Vessel that I am is a Velvet Box. I could write at least 6 blogs about how that has changed my life. I finally understand who I am. I finally understand me. And I can't help but understand how Awesome God is to love me this much.

He created in you a specific temperament. And He fashioned a way in which you would function. And now because of V & F you can know that temperament, and how you function. And begin to understand yourself, others, and God better.

Yes, Jesus does love me. And He loves you too.

Blessings.

DISCLAIMER

From now on our blobs will have information that is about people's temperament and how they function. That is what Vessels and Flowers is all about. We will occasionally mention such things as Vases, Baskets, Roses, Dogwoods, and Pansies. These are all discussed in our book. Sometimes when we discuss this information it sounds like we are speaking another language. If we mention something that makes no sense, I guess the best thing is to purchase Vessels & Flowers to figure it out. You can do that at www.vesselsandflowers.com.

Blessings,

Sally Pickard

Why Can't You Be Like Me?, by Sally

Just think what the world would be like if all people were just like me!!! We would all be an introvert, needing to ponder many things before making decisions, a muller, complicated, wanting to encourage rather than confront, a bit touchy. Come to think of it, maybe that's not a good idea. What are you like?? Do you want all others to be just like you?

Since writing Vessels and Flowers and being involved in the seminars and discussions with others about the material, it seems to me that people fall into two categories. There are those that would rather have others be just like them. They are the temperaments and functions that are stronger and feel that they are right most of the time. When they make a mistake, they tend to think, "Oh well, better next time." When someone else makes a mistake they tend to say or think, "If it were me, I would have....." Just for discussions sake I will call these folks Directors.

And there are others who seem to react in a way that they wish they could be more like other people. They are more focused on their own mistakes, and are more forgiving of others when they do err. When they make a mistake they tend to say or think, "Why did I do that??? I wish I could be like her. She is better than me." When someone else makes a mistake they tend to say or think, "She probably has a good reason for that." And again, just for discussions sake, I am going to call these folks Actors.

One might think that the difference between the two is Extrovert and Introvert, but I don't think it is. I have known many a Pitcher(who is an introvert) to think others should be or do what they see as correct. We see these two attitudes during our seminars and discussions about V & F. Directors tend to see others as in need of being like them. Actors are more prone to see their own mistakes and wish they could be like others.

For Directors, when they hear about the other temperaments and how they are made up, it is a real discovery for them. For the first time they realize that God did create others in a way in which they may have previously seen as lazy or weak. I know of a case where two brothers, who are a Pitcher and a Vase, always saw their Golden Pouch brother as lazy and not able to make decisions. The info of V & F showed them that he was not lazy, but pensive and more careful than they were.

I wish I had a nickle for every time I have said that I wished I would have known about this before I went on the mission field. I saw many instances where a stronger temperament and a softer temperament would disagree about doing something important like preach the Gospel to another culture. The stronger would want to go charging in and let those people know that, "You need Jesus!!!!" While the softer would want to carefully, kindly, lead another to Christ.

For Actors, it is a monumental enlightening. Because the stronger folks are more vocal, many Actors think that there is something wrong with them and they wish they could be more decisive as the Directors.

When we begin to describe each of the five temperaments at our seminars, Brenda and I have seen many an Actor start to cry. They are amazed that their characteristics are valid. So many have been shocked at how well we are able to describe not only their characteristics, but their challenges as well.

The challenge for the Director is to be accepting of each of the five temperaments. They can come to the conclusion that probably Miss "Softie" will never be able to do what the Director finds so natural. We are each made differently and in God's plan.

And the challenge for the Actor is to finally realize those traits and characteristics that she has have been shaped and molded by God. He decided that she should be a softer woman.

The task for both is to look at their characteristics and accept what God has created and chosen for them. And also look at the challenges that she has, and ask God to help her in her daily walk to grow into His likeness.

Then there is the principle of understanding. We can not only understand ourselves, as related in my earlier blog, "Understanding Me, Myself And I", but we can begin to understand our sister, our mother-in-law, our teachers, etc. When we realize what temperament and function they are, we are better able to understand why they do and say what they do and say.

In Romans 15:5-7 it says, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Blessings to you all.