CLAY BALLS

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away! It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

PRAISE REPORT

Sis. Martha Samples came home today.

Dakota Anderson is feeling much better but the Doctor's still don't know what is causing him to be sick.

WOMEN'S NIGHT

Women will be coming together Saturday Evening at 6:00 p.m. here at the church for a movie and time together.

PRAYER REQUEST

Dr. Charles Hillis is in Scottsboro Hospital.

PRAYER REQUEST

Dakota Anderson is 10 and sick in Huntsville Hospital.

Martha Samples is in Scottsboro Hospital.

Jean Stubblefield is in Memoral Hospital dying with Cancer.

God can do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.
Please pray for these.

REVIVAL THIS WEEK AT PIEDMONT

Bro. Billy Gravett is in revival this week, services start at 7:00 p.m. Mon. - Whenever. This is a new mission please keep this church in your prayers. We had a great service last night.

GOD IS GOOD

REVIVAL THIS WEEK AT LEESBURG

Bro. Gerome Key would like to invite everyone to come be in revival at Leesburg Church of God of Prophecy. Services start at 7:00 p.m. and will go through Wed. Night. For more info. Contact the church or Bro. Key.

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week thank God that He is working His will and good pleasure in your life. Say, "yes" to everything He desires for you. Ask Him to help you complete every assignment He has for you so that you would bear much fruit for His kingdom as a result. Pray that the truth of the gospel would spread throughout the world so that many will come into the freedom found only in Christ. Continue to pray for our military in the Middle East and for God's purposes to be fulfilled in Israel and Iraq. Pray that God will use President Bush to shift our nation toward righteousness. Phil. 2:13; 1 Thes. 5:17