T.J.I.F.A.

 

THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ON…& ON…& ON…& ON.
JUNE 25, 2004

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL 4TH OF JULY
FLY THE FLAG
T.J.I.F.A. WILL BE ON VACATION THE WEEK OF JULY4TH,2004.  WE'LL  SEE  YA  AGAIN JULY 9TH 2004.  GOD BLESS!
{SPECIAL HOLIDAY ISSUE }

 

SUBJECT:  "MERCY" THE WANDERING SHEEP
SHEEP ARE VULNERABLE ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN FLOCKS.  THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE DUMBEST ANIMAL CREATED, YET, GOD REFERS TO US AS  SHEEP.  A WANDERING SHEEP CAN GET INTO MUCH TROUBLE.  LET'S SEE WHAT THIS YOUNG SHEEP, MERCY, DECIDES AS SHE BREAKS AWAY FROM THE ROUTINE OF NORMAL LIVING.    ENJOY "MERCY".

 

NOTEWORTHY:  QUOTES SUBMITTED BY BMCC.

 

FRIDAY'S WORD: SEE YA NEXT TIME!
IN THE MIRROR: SEE YA NEXT TIME!

 

O TASTE AND SEE!  LAST WEEK WE PRINTED THE SAME RECIPE, SO FORGIVE OUR MISTAKE.   ENJOY IT TWICE AS MUCH AND SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND WHILE  DELIGHTING IN THE FOURTH OF JULY JELL-O MOLD.  YUM! YUM!

 

LOOKING FORWARD

 

SEE YA NEXT TIME!   JULY 9TH, 2004

 

TER 
"MERCY" THE WANDERING SHEEP        
Proverbs 24:11 " Rescue those being  led  away to death; Hold back those staggering toward slaughter." (NIV)

 

Mercy was a beautiful white lamb.  Her wool was as white as the new snow in winter.  Her family had been groomed to give a high grade of wool.  The Shepherd kept this flock of animals in special fields, where the grass was enhanced with vitamins that potentiate growth of fine wool from these sheep. 

 

Mercy was different.  She didn't look different, but she had different thoughts from her relatives and friends.  They were content to eat and follow one another around the green field.  It seemed, sometimes, that they were all in competition for the quietest sheep award; if there were  such a prize.  This seeming insignificance was making Mercy mad..  She decided to DO something about her humdrum, doldrums, boring  existence.

 

Her mother noticed that Mercy had been separate from the other young sheep.  It was obvious that Mercy was gradually becoming an INDIVIDUAL.  For other animals, this was a good sign, but for a sheep this same characteristic was DISASTROUS.  Sheep walked, talked, ate, and survived in the flock.  (A flock is a group).  The only sheep who had survived outside the fold were sheep who were adopted as pets by the Master, and even they, would be allowed to gather with the other sheep.  Mercy was headed for trouble. 

 

The natural tendency for the other sheep was to eat, and as a group slowly walk toward the lone sheep.  It was the innate kindness of sheep to encircle the lone young sheep and coral it back into the flock.  The older members of the flock would then, open up the center of the flock until the young one was in the middle and keep it surrounded so that it couldn't become so engrossed in eating this good grass that it would be in danger. 

 

Mercy was old enough to know the tactics of the flock; after all,  it didn't take much to understand them.  She mockingly thought, ‘they only have one brain, and it seemed to be a half of one at that.'  Mercy pretended to ignore the flock and began taking more frequent and larger steps AWAY from the safety of the fold.  A familiar sound rang throughout the meadow; the flock turned, as one man, and began running toward the sound; every one of them, even Mercy.  It was the Shepherd calling them in for the night.  As Mercy ran toward the familiar, she felt such JOY, but . . .Why?  As she ran, like the rest of them, she heard another voice. It was also vaguely familiar.  It screamed at her.  "Mercy, did the Shepherd call your name?"  Mercy, still running, answered, "No."  The voice commanded her, "Stop!  If you want to change, start now!  You're acting just like those other dumb sheep." 

 

Mercy dropped to the ground, panting and watching the flock furiously run to the Shepherd.  The voice was still teaching her to be an individual.  She laid still.  From the right side of the flock came the Border Collie straight to her, barking angrily.  She started to get to her feet, when the voice told her "Ignore him.  All he's going to do is bite you on the hind part, but he's not going to kill you.  He's paid to keep you from harm.  Just pretend you're hurt.  Get up on your feet then fall down again.  He'll go for help, and then you'll be alright.."  Mercy did exactly what the voice told her to do, and sure enough what it said would happen, did.   She watched the flock disappearing over the hill, but to the left of the flock came another lone sheep running and bleating loudly.  It was that old grandmother with the bad leg.  She was screaming "Mercy!  Mercy!"  The Border Collie from the left side of the flock quickly ran ahead of her snapping and barking in a horribly threatening tone.  He was turning the old sheep back to the fold.  The old sheep seemed intent; but, not as intent as the Border Collie.  Her intentions were distracted and her will broken,  as she grudgingly obeyed the orders of the Border Collie.  She turned and looking over her shoulder in the direction of Mercy, gave one last longing bleat in her direction.  Mercy wanted to tell the old sheep that she was alright, but if she let on now, she would reveal her true intentions.  Often she had asked and wondered why that Grandmother sheep limped.  It was a well kept secret in the flock.  She seemed to be the wisest sheep in the flock, with the most beautiful wool.  Everyone asked her questions about life.  (Flock life. It was probably all she knew).

 

With the Border Collies gone, Mercy seized the opportunity to run in the opposite direction.  She had never been over this hill, and to her surprise, there was another whole flock of sheep.  They were very fat and extremely happy.  The voice with which she had become familiar, urged her to join the crowd, because it was getting late, and sheep were vulnerable at night.  Taking the direction  from the voice, she obeyed.

 

These new friends were so happy.  They ate what they wanted, and sang songs.  Mercy felt that she had joined a new club.  One of the older sheep looked at her in a discerning gaze.  She asked Mercy, "Where did you get that beautiful wool?  Are you lost?"  Mercy answered, "No.  I'm not lost.  My wool is the same as yours, isn't it?" 

 

The sheep answered, "Mercy . . .you're different.  We are sheep who are raised for the supreme sacrifice.  We are a special breed of sheep.  We're all ready to "go" in the morning."  Mercy asked, "By sacrifice, what do you mean?  Do you mean killed for someone's sins?  Or do you mean put aside for a special occasion?" The older sheep smiled then she laughed.  "You are a real rookie."  She told Mercy about how many friends she had before they had been lead to the slaughter.  She said that this flock of sheep were especially bred for consumption.  She said, "We are kept happy so that when we ‘go' we won't have bad hormones in our blood system."

 

Mercy looked around at all of the happy faces.  She thought, "How do I get out of here?"  The older sheep replied, as if reading her mind, "There's no way out."  Mercy didn't know her way around this meadow, so she wandered nudging at the fences.  While she was looking for a route of escape, someone grabbed her by the nape of the neck.  "Look here at this wool.  I'd like to have this lot myself.  I'm going to  shear her myself;" and with  expert skill, he threw the lamb to the ground and whisked off her beautiful wool; and opened the gate to allow Mercy to enter the slaughter run.  Other young sheep were waiting to "go."  They were still happy.  Mercy asked one of the younger sheep, "Why are you all so happy? Do you know that you are going to be slaughtered?  What makes you so happy?" 

 

One of the sheep answered Mercy. "Mercy," she said, "our mothers prepared us for  this journey.  They told us about a beautiful meadow, where the grass is always green, where we can have as much still cold water as we want, and we will have a real Good Shepherd.  He will anoint us and there will be no bugs to get into our eyes and crawl up our noses there.  Our mothers told us that the streets are made of gold, and that no one has to be sheared, because our wool will only grow a certain length.  We'll never be too hot, or too cold, because the temperature is just right."  The young sheep looked at Mercy, "What's wrong with you?   Why didn't your mother tell you about this place before you are to go?  You aren't ready." 

 

No.  Mercy wasn't ready, and she hoped that someone else would recognize her lack of preparation to "go."  Mercy ate some of the grass that the other lambs were eating.  It was good and caused her to want more and more.  She found her mood changing.  No wonder these sheep were content to "go."  This grass was tantalizing; it had something in it that made you care free and relaxed.  She spent the rest of the night eating grass and learning the songs of the destined flock.  The hired hands woke the sheep early and began lining them up in a single file line.  As they drowsily walked into a very noisy building, other hired hands washed each sheep with a strong soap, another rinsed them, and on the line continued into the noisy building.  The sheep were composed, or mentally altered to quiet anticipatory resignation.  Mercy had lost all hope.  Trying not to act out of fear, she began to think of her mother, the other members of her old flock and ‘Grandmother Grace.'  A tear rolled down her cheek.  The hired hand grabbed her by the bell around her neck.  "Hey, this sheep has a different bell, and her skin is clear."  He picked up the lamb, examining her markings, then he yelled, "This isn't our lamb.  She has the brand of the next ranch.  What should we do?  She's all sheared."  The other men laughed.  "This is the slaughter  house line.  What do you expect us to do?  Wash that lamb.  The dinner table knows no brands."  They all laughed and continued in their respective jobs. 

 

The hired hand picked Mercy up and guided her to the back of the line.  He mumbled, "How in the world did you get in here?  Look at you, all sheared and clean . . .ready for the slaughter."
 
Then the hired hand went back to his post, wondering what he should do with Mercy, when, once again, he noticed a bell unlike the others.  Upon examination he found another sheep from the same  ranch.  Now, he was in quite a dilemma.  This wasn't fair.  These sheep belonged to another farmer, and they weren't to be stolen by this crew,  after the neighbor had raised and fed them.  He had to get them back to their owner before packaging.  But, for now, he just guided them to the back of the line. 

 

"Mercy!  What are you doing over here?"  asked Grandmother Grace.  Mercy burst into tears… Tears of unbelief, daunted hope, embarrassment, and joy.  Mercy couldn't believe her eyes.  There was Grandma Grace all sheared and ready for the slaughter.  How did this happen?  She couldn't imagine. 

 

The hired hands yelled from the noisy building.  "We've made the quota for today; let the rest go back to pasture."  They began to shoo the sheep in front of Mercy out into the field. 

 

Still crying, Mercy forced  herself  to ask Grandma Grace, how she had managed to be there in this foreign place.  Grandma Grace didn't answer her question right away.  Instead, she began to speak about obedience and  rebellion.  Then, she told Mercy how she acquired the limp . . .Grandma Grace had been rebellious, when she was young.  As a result, she ran away from the flock to a farm very much like this one.  When the Shepherd found her, he broke her leg, so that she  wouldn't become dissatisfied  and tempted  to run into harm's way. 

 

Everyone has a period of time when they think that everyone else is dumb for staying in a flock.  When that happens, the Shepherd must take drastic action or otherwise lose more than half of his flock."  "But, Grandma Grace, how do we get home from here?" asked a somber Mercy.  "We just wait and pray, Mercy", answered Grandmother Grace.  "And prayer never  hurt.  Mercy, I could tell, you were listening to the wrong voice.  As you grow, you will know which voice is right.  Just because your Shepherd didn't call  YOUR name, doesn't  mean that your name was not in the CALL.  The voice that you followed comes only to steal, kill, and destroy."  Mercy spoke up, "But Grandma Grace, the voice told me exactly what to do so that I wouldn't get caught.  Isn't that good?" 
"Mercy, as a result of following that voice, you have lost your beautiful wool coat.  You were standing four sheep from the slaughter's blade, which would have KILLED you and DESTROYED your mother and other members of the flock.  You were sorely missed.  The Shepherd looked for you  into the night, even the Border Collie  searched for you."  Mercy asked, "How did the Shepherd know that I was missing? There are so many of us, how did he know?  I thought that I could go out for a little while, and he wouldn't miss me.  I figured that I could slip back in when I wanted to come back home." 

 

While they were talking, they heard the familiar barks of the two Border Collies, and in the far distance, they heard and saw THEIR SHEPHERD. 

 

Naked, Mercy and Grace ran to the edge of the pasture, bleating as loud as they could.  The Border Collies ran straight to them, barking and turning in joyful circles.  The Shepherd was met in the pasture by the hired hand, who had kindly treated the two misplaced sheep.  He had a large bag, which he handed over to their Shepherd.  (It was their stolen wool)

 

When their Shepherd saw them, he laughed . . ."Mercy and Grace."

 

Looking Forward

 

See Ya Next Time

 

TER

 

NOTEWORTHY:

 

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."

 

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, GOD forgave you.  Eph. 4:32 NIV. 

 

From : "Bless Your Heart" Series 2. Hartland Sampling Inc.

 

Submitted by: BMcC.

 

 

 

 

 

O TASTE AND SEE!

 

JULY 4TH JELL-O MOLD

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

LARGE PACKAGE BLUEBERRY FLAVORED JELL-O
1 CAN SWEETENED BLUEBERRIES (DRAINED)
LARGE PACKAGE VANILLA PUDDING
LARGE PACKAGE STRAWBERRY JELL-O
1 PACKAGE FROZEN STRAWBERRIES DRAINED OF ALL JUICE OR 1 CUP SLICED FRESH STRAWBERRIES

 

DIRECTIONS:
HAVE LARGE JELL-O MOLD AVAILABLE.
MAKE BLUEBERRY JELL-O ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS, BUT ONLY USE 1 CUP COLD WATER INSTEAD OF 2.
POUR 1 CAN OF BLUEBERRIES INTO BLUEBERRY JELL-O MIXTURE, MIX WELL.
POUR INTO JELL-O MOLD. REFRIGERATE UNTIL CONGEALED.
MAKE INSTANT VANILLA PUDDING ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS.
POUR ON TOP OF CONGEALED BLUEBERRY JELL-O. REFRIGERATE UNTIL PUDDING CAN HOLD ITS SHAPE.
MAKE STRAWBERRY JELL-O ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS ON BOX, BUT LEAVE OUT 1 CUP OF COLD WATER.
STIR IN  DRAINED STRAWBERRIES.  LET THIS MIXTURE GET VERY COLD BEFORE TOPPING THE PUDDING WITH IT.  BRINGING IT ALMOST TO COMPLETION OF CONGEALING PROCESS; THEN POUR OVER PUDDING AND REFRIGERATE UNTIL THIS WHOLE MOLD IS VERY COLD.

 

SERVE IN CLEAR GLASS DISHES TOPPED WITH COOL WHIP OR REDDY WHIP.

 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! TER