>> VICTORIA: THANK YOU, LORD.
HALLELUJAH.
HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW
THAT, SOMETIMES, THE SMALLEST
THING CAN JUST IRRITATE YOU,
THINGS THAT REALLY DON'T
MATTER IN THE LONG RUN?
I WAS WITH A GIRLFRIEND OF
MINE SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND
SHE WAS SHOWING ME HER
VACATION PHOTOS.
I HATE TO DATE THIS, BUT IT'S
WHEN WE USED TO GO GET THEM
AT WALGREEN'S.
SHE SAID, "I JUST PICKED UP
MY VACATION PHOTOS.
LET'S LOOK AT THEM."
SO I SAID, "OKAY," AND SO WE
BEGAN TO LOOK AT THIS
BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF BLUE
SKIES, SANDY BEACHES, ALL
THESE CUTE LITTLE SHOPS AT
THE PORT, JUST SO MUCH FUN,
AND WE'RE LOOKING, AND I
NOTICED SHE WAS GETTING A
LITTLE MORE IRRITATED AND SHE
WAS GOING THROUGH THE
PICTURES MORE QUICKLY, AND I
WAS LIKE, "OKAY, OKAY."
YOU KNOW?
I WAS GOING TO KIND OF REALLY
CHECK THEM OUT AND TALK ABOUT
THEM.
BUT THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I
NOTICED SHE BEGAN TO SAY, "I
LOOK TERRIBLE IN THAT
PICTURE.
I DON'T LIKE THAT PICTURE.
I AM NOT WEARING THAT OUTFIT
AGAIN.
IT DOESN'T PHOTOGRAPH WELL,"
AND SHE BEGAN TO PICK HERSELF
APART IN THESE PICTURES.
SEE, I WENT FROM ENJOYING HER
VACATION TO LOOKING AT
SOMETHING ABOUT HERSELF THAT
I COULDN'T EVEN SEE.
YOU SEE, SOMETIMES, WE FORGET
THE BIG PICTURE.
WE FORGET TO LOOK AT THE BLUE
SKIES, THE SANDY BEACHES, THE
SMILING FACES, OUR CHILDREN
BECAUSE WE SEE THAT SPECK ON
THE PICTURE, AND THAT'S ALL
WE FOCUS ON.
YOU SEE, HER MEMORY, ALL OF A
SUDDEN, BECAME NEGATIVE.
THINK ABOUT ADAM AND EVE.
THEY WERE IN A BEAUTIFUL
GARDEN, LUSH, GREEN GARDEN.
THEY HAD FRUIT EVERYWHERE.
THEY COULD EAT ALL THEY WANT,
NEVER GAINED ANY WEIGHT, NO
LAUNDRY.
THEY WERE IN THIS AMAZING
GOD-GIVEN GARDEN, AND, ONE
DAY, EVE GOT HER EYE ON A
SINGLE BUSH, A SINGLE BUSH IN
THE GARDEN, THE ONLY BUSH SHE
WAS ASKED NOT TO TOUCH, AND
THAT DAY, THAT BUSH BECAME
THE BIGGEST THING THAT SHE
SAW.
IN FACT, THAT BUSH WAS SO
BIG, IT DISTORTED THE WHOLE
VIEW OF THE GARDEN.
YOU SEE, THAT BUSH WAS THE
SPECK ON THE PICTURE.
SHE DIDN'T SEE THE WHOLE
PICTURE BECAUSE ALL SHE COULD
SEE IS WHAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE.
LISTEN, LET'S DON'T SEE THE
SPECKS IN OUR LIFE.
LET'S BEGIN TO SEE THE WHOLE
PICTURE, WHAT WE DO HAVE.
LET'S DON'T LET A BUSH
DISTORT THIS AMAZING LIFE GOD
HAS GIVEN US, THE
RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE
BECAUSE, IN THE LONG RUN, IT
REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.
I THINK WE COULD ALL SAY, IF
WE STEP BACK, THAT WE'VE SEEN
SOME SPECKS THAT MESSED SOME
THINGS UP FOR US.
WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE FOCUSED ON
SOME THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T
HAVE AND WE FORGOT TO SEE ALL
THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE DO
HAVE.
LISTEN, I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN
REGRET.
DO YOU?
I WANT TO ENJOY WHAT GOD HAS
GIVEN ME RIGHT NOW, THE
BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT.
I THINK ABOUT MY FRIEND, AND,
TODAY, I BET IF SHE PULLS
THOSE SAME PICTURES OUT, SHE
IS GOING TO GO, "I LOOK
PRETTY GOOD IN THOSE
PICTURES."
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, WHEN THE
YEARS GO BY, YOU DON'T LOOK
AS BAD AS YOU THOUGHT YOU
DID.
WHEN MY KIDS WERE VERY YOUNG,
WE WERE AT THE OLD BUILDING
AND IT WAS A EASTER SUNDAY
AND EVERYONE WAS DRESSED UP.
YOU KNOW, ALL THE FAMILY WAS
THERE, THE COUSINS, THE
AUNTS, THE UNCLES, YOU KNOW,
THE GRANDMOTHERS, EVERYONE
WAS THERE AND LOOKING SO
GOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE ALL THERE
TOGETHER AND I REMEMBER
THINKING, "I WANT TO GET A
EASTER PICTURE.
EVERYBODY IS SO CUTE," ALL
THE LITTLE OUTFITS THE KIDS
HAD ON, AND ABOUT THE TIME WE
COULD ROUND EVERYBODY UP TO
GET THIS EASTER PICTURE,
WE'RE PLACING EVERYBODY, I
LOOK AND THERE IS MY TWO
LITTLE KIDS.
THEY HAD CHANGED OUT OF THEIR
EASTER CLOTHES AND PUT ON
THEIR PLAY CLOTHES.
THEY'RE STANDING THERE WITH
SOME SHORTS AND A RAGGY OLD
T-SHIRT AND SOME TENNIS SHOES
AND I AM, LIKE, LOOKING AT
THEM AND IT WAS ENOUGH JUST
GETTING EVERYONE ROUNDED UP.
THERE WASN'T TIME FOR ME TO
GO CHANGE THEM AND BRING THEM
BACK AND I REMEMBER THINKING,
"I AM SO FRUSTRATED," YOU
SEE, BECAUSE I WANTED THIS
PICTURE TO BE PERFECT.
IT HAD TO BE MY WAY.
IT WAS MY PICTURE.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT.
THAT PICTURE IS ONE OF MY
MOST TREASURED POSSESSIONS
TODAY, ONE OF MY MOST
TREASURED POSSESSIONS, BUT,
AT THE TIME, ALL I SAW WERE
THOSE KHAKI SHORTS AND TENNIS
SHOES AND GREEN T-SHIRT THAT
I DID NOT WANT IN MY PICTURE.
SEE, WE NEED TO STEP BACK.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT LIFE
IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT GOD'S GOODNESS.
IT'S ABOUT OUR FAMILY.
IT'S ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE.
SO OFTEN, WE WANT IT TO BE
PERFECT.
WE WANT IT TO GO OUR WAY AND
WHEN IT SLIGHTLY TAKES A
CURVE, IT MESSES EVERYTHING
UP.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MESS
EVERYTHING UP AND WE HAVE GOT
TO REMEMBER, YOU SEE, MY
LITTLE KIDS, THEY HAD NO
IDEA.
THEY HAD NO IDEA.
THEY'RE JUST KIDS.
YOU SEE, I WOULD RATHER HAVE
A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MY
KIDS THAN TO BE ALL UPSET
WITH THEM.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT.
THEY'RE IN COLLEGE NOW.
I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO JUST
HAVE A PICTURE WITH THEM
TODAY.
YOU KNOW?
I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY'RE
WEARING.
I REALLY DON'T.
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED THINGS
SO PERFECT AND IT DIDN'T GO
YOUR WAY?
I KNOW A LOT OF MOTHERS CAN
RELATE TO THIS.
WE WANT OUR KID'S BIRTHDAY
PARTIES TO BE SPECTACULAR.
WE WANT SPIDERMAN THERE ON
TIME.
WE WANT THE PRINCESS COMING
WITH THE RIGHT CLOTHES ON.
WE WANT EVERYTHING PERFECT.
WE GET SO UPTIGHT PLANNING
AND ANTICIPATING, WE FORGET
WHO WE'RE CELEBRATING.
WE DON'T EVEN RELAX AND
REALIZE, "THIS IS MY CHILD'S
BIRTHDAY.
I AM GOING TO ENJOY THIS
BIRTHDAY PARTY AND CELEBRATE
THEM."
LISTEN, EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE
TO BE PERFECT BEFORE YOU ENJOY
YOUR LIFE.
LET'S DON'T LOOK AT THE
SPECK.
LET'S STEP BACK AND SEE THE
BIG PICTURE.
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, WE'RE
ALL BUSY.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
LET'S MAKE MEMORIES THAT WILL
LAST AND THAT WE CAN ENJOY
FOR A LIFETIME.
OKAY?
ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S SO GOOD.
PRAISE YOU, JESUS.
WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE BIG
PICTURE.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR WATCHING
THE MESSAGE.
I HOPE IT
INSPIRED AND UPLIFTED YOU.
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WE LOVE YOU AND WE'LL SEE
YOU NEXT TIME.