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I have always been intrigued by this verse.  It is in the middle of the faith chapter in Hebrews. Jacob, one of the twin boys of Isaac, was on his death bed and, after blessing each of the sons of Joseph, he worshiped while leaning on his staff.

The weather was warmer this morning. When I ran outside to take care of the animals, I saw the goats had ventured out into the field for the first time in a while. They were enjoying the pleasant sunshine and nibbling on the grass when they heard me coming. They looked up from their foraging, caught sight of me heading their way, and took off pell mell towards the barn. It made me smile to know they were so glad to see me. I provide their food, water, and comfort and they depend on me. We like it when others look up to us and follow us. It makes us feel wanted and important.

I make a lot of lunches around here. Sometimes when I lay out the bread for all the sandwiches I wonder if I will have enough to fill everyone up. Boys especially can really eat! I was reminded the other day of another young boy who packed up his lunch and headed out to hear Jesus teach.

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!" Like a voice from the past, the words of this child's song came to me the other day. Have you ever felt very tiny in a vast world filled with millions of people? Sometimes the desire to make a difference can be overwhelming. It is easy to wonder what kind of an impact you are having on the world around you. What will you leave behind when it is time for you to depart from this earth?

Look what I found!  I glanced up from my desk to survey the blanket of snow that surrounded our office. Even more had fallen during the night. It resembled a white desert edged by leafless trees and a hopeless tangle of barren brambles. Only months ago this same spot had been filled with vibrant life - shades of green punctuated by birds of various hues flitting back and forth, chirping happily as they whistled to their mates.  I sighed and dropped my head back to the ledger in front of me when out of the corner of my eye I caught a flash.  I strained to peer into the wild jumble of briars.  That is when I saw it - a crimson jewel on a breast of milky white snow.  The male cardinal fluttered closer and landed on a piece of dead wood. Creeping nearer I silently raised my camera to the window pane, and snapped a picture capturing this glimpse of beauty in a barren wilderness.

Many people mistakenly believe that once they become a Christian they will not have any more trials.  Somewhere they have gotten the idea that God's blessings always come in the form of money, health, and other good things.  Though it is true that God does bestow many blessings on us, sometimes those gifts come in strange ways.