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If you have a good story to share, please email me at [email protected] Stories so far
The following was inserted on 09 Mar 2002
A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She humbly asked. "What does it mean Father?" He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength? Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff or become disillusioned, have you become hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart? Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you. When people talk about you, do your praises to the Lord increase? When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, does your worship elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? II Corinthians 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
Quote: "Anger is just one letter away from Danger." "We are masters of what we keep (our words) and slaves of what we say (out)." The following is excerpts from "Making Friends" by Andrew Matthew Anger doesn’t motivate. Telling people that they are wrong is a great way to make enemies. More so in public. Admitting ones action is inappropriate can be a good way to start friendship. Criticism doesn’t work. People rarely blame themselves. If you blame other people, they blame you. Humans have a remarkable capacity to see ourselves as always the innocent party. Criticism is destructive. If your secretary won’t do the job, criticism will make her more lazy. If you want to preserve relationships and get results from people, you must be sensitive to their egos. Praise (sincere one) before criticising. "Remind" rather than tell people. Most people aren’t embarrassed about having a less than perfect memory but they hate to be told that they are foolish/not doing the right thing. Admit to the problem yourself. If I say to you, "You are always late!", don’t you immediately run through your memory banks to recall how many times I’ve been late for lunch, work etc. Being late is not really the problem now, it is the feeling that you’re being put down. When you admit to the problem, "One of my faults which I’m working on is my lateness. I notice that you are often running late too …", it is much easier to accept. To get the best results from others, give people the benefit of the doubt. Imagine you have bought a hi-fi system. You get it home and find the dealer has given you a cheaper amplifier than the one promised. You have a suspicion that he is crooked and that he intentionally cheated you. If he has cheated you, and you accuse him of being a crook, then he has nothing to gain by giving you what you want. You have already "found him guilty", so he’ll think, "If you call me a criminal, I’ll be a criminal!" However, if you give him the benefit of the doubt, saying, "I know you’ll be embarrassed to find that you gave me the wrong unit, " there is a chance he’ll set things right. On the other hand also, if you accuse him of being a crook, and he has not intentionally cheated you, he won’t be happy either. In either case, it pays to edit the personal abuse. You look for the best in him so he will look for the best in himself. Andrea was fuming over the phone… "You have billed me for that seminar when I already paid for it in full. I told you twice already that I owe you no money. You have upset me and you have upset my family! It’s a disgraceful reflection on your business! I will be taking this further." She was a very angry lady. As she slammed the receiver down. Five minutes later, a very embarrassed Andrea called back, "My husband has just found the cheque …" Before starting to abuse the landlord, threaten the shopkeeper, fuming at boss or barking at the employee, get all the facts.
The rocks in your life A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your faith, your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
THE HEALING POISON A long time ago, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing the poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you. Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some pork or chicken and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law, who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening. One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her." Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitimans to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her." MORAL: Friends, have you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? In China it is said: The person who loves others will also be loved. THE GOLDEN RULE
WHEN I WHINE Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair. and wished I was as fair. When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg and wore a crutch. But as she passed, a smile. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have 2 legs, the world is mine. I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm. I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I were late, it'd do no harm. And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind. It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind." Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have 2 eyes, the world is mine. Later while walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue. He stood and watched the others play. He did not know what to do. I stopped a moment and then I said, "Why don't you join the others, dear?" He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew, he couldn't hear. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have 2 ears, the world is mine. With feet to take me where I'd go. With eyes to see the sunset's glow. With ears to hear what I'd know. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine. ~ Author Unknown ~ A THOUSAND MARBLES The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, what began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. I turned the volume up on my radio, and I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself. He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom". I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet." "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities. "And that's when he began to explain his theory of "a thousand marbles". "You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about 75 years. I know, some live more and some live less but on average, folks live about 75 years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime." "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be 75, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." "So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up with 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large clear plastic container next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away." "I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time." "It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!" You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles." Author Unknown
LIFE
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now. If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them! Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
You Are Special A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this..." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20." Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value: dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives come not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.
On 911 Ever wonder,why did GOD ALLOWED the terrorist attack on USA when He is a God of Love,Mercy & Grace. Here's what Billy Graham's (World evangelist ) daughter interview on US National TV. Billy Graham's daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" And Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?" I know there's been a lot of emails going around in regards to 9/11/01, but this really makes you think. If you don't have time, at least skim through it, but the bottom line is something to think about. In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. Let's see, I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body was found recently) complained she didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then, someone said you better not read the Bible in school that says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK. Then, Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide) And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we said, OK. Then, someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (There's big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking, etc.) And we said, OK. Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said, OK. Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, OK. Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good. And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said, OK. And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said OK, they're entitled to their free speech. And then the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. And let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW." "Dear God, Why didn't you save the little girl killed in her classroom?" Sincerely, Concerned Student... AND THE REPLY "Dear Concerned Student, I am not allowed in schools". Sincerely, God. Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan who, by the way, also "believes" in God. Funny how we are quick to judge but not to be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me. Are you thinking?
The Riddle The riddle appears at the end. Hope you enjoy, "The rest of the story"! See if you can guess the riddle at the end. Paul Harvey Writes: We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches, I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get teased by your friends when you practice your religion, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand. These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life. Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you. When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors. What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it, The rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die? Send this to 10 people and then push the shift key, it will give you the answer. P.S. You wont believe this, but this really does give you the answer!!!!
THE TEACUP There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it said? "I haven't always been a teacup? There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'let me alone, but he only smiled, 'Not yet.' "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around? Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed? But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.' Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'Not yet.' Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' He only nodded, 'Not yet.' Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.' Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself. And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.' 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you. MORAL: God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not tempt you beyond what you can bear... (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The following was inserted on 04 Mar 2001
Selected Quotes from Various Sources A champion is not one who never fails, but one who never quits. A wise man does not entrust all his eggs to one basket. An eye for an eye(cf. Leviticus 24:19-20) makes the world blind. Be daring, be first, be different to be a success in business. Direction is more important than speed. We are so busy looking at our speedometers that we forget the milestones. Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world – Eleanor Roosevelt From savings comes having. From small beginnings come great things. Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees. -Williard Marriott Half the failures in life arise from stopping one's horse as it starts leaping. Hardships, poverty, and wants are the best incentives and the best foundation for the success of man. He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave. -Andrew Carnegie He that is overcautious will accomplish little. If you aspire to the highest place, it is no disgrace to stop at the second, or even the third place.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice; So of all things you wear, your smile is most important. It's not what happens to you; it's what you do about it that makes the difference. -W. Mitchell One of the best ways to persuade others is by your ears - by listening to them. One shouldn't look back except to learn. Talent develops in tranquillity, character in the full current of human life. - Goethe The man who views the world at 50 the same he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. The way to love anything is to realize it might be lost.
To know when to be generous and when to be firm - this is wisdom. - Elbert Hubbard Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. - Leo Tolstoy Worry is like a rocking chair. It gets you something to do but it'll get you nowhere. You must do the thing you cannot do. And remember, the finest steel gets sent through the hottest furnace. A man spends the first half of his life learning habits that shorten the other half of his life. An angry person is seldom reasonable; a reasonable man is seldom angry. Anger opens the mouth and shuts the mind. A person can fail many times, but is not really a failure until he/she starts to blame someone else. A person is grown up not when he can take care of himself, but when he can take care of others. A person of words and not deeds is like a garden full of weeds. A person who makes no mistakes generally makes nothing. A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. A relationship is like sand in your hand But as soon as you close your hand tightly it slips through your fingers. As a man begins to live more seriously within, he begins to live more simply without. A sharp tongue and a dull mind are usually found in the same head. A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Ask a question and you're a fool for 3 minutes; do not ask a question and you're a fool for the rest of your life. - Chinese proverb A smile is a curve that sets things straight. A smile is a fortune but you can't sell it; you can't buy it and you can't steal it, but it isn't good to anyone until it's given away. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - Tolstoy
FRIENDS AND FRIENDSHIP "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." - Charles Caleb Colton "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." "Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus. "Strangers are just friends waiting to happen." "Friendship is one mind in two bodies." - Mencius "Friends are God's way of taking care of us." "If you should die before me, ask if you could bring a friend." -Stone Temple Pilots "I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay." –Dave Matthews Band "If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them." "Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say." "We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere." - Tim McGraw "My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life." - Lee Iacocca "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." - Nigerian Proverb "Hold a true friend with both your hands." -unknown
Bricks About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was travelling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and-WHUMP! -- it smashed into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH..!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?" "Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE - a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention... Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
AN APPLE TREE AND A BOY A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play
around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, or took a nap under the
shade. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our
parents.
I am thankful... For the teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV, because
ANYWAY People are often unreasonable,
Don't judge a book by its cover A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed
IF...(WITH APOLOGIES TO RUDYARD KIPLING) Consider this... If you can start the day without caffeine, Bumper Sticker: "I wish I were half the man my dog thinks I am...."
Is it? See if your english is powderful or not??
Life is an Echo LIFE IS AN ECHO He got scared, went to his mother for protection and said there was a bad boy in the
Make it Happen You Have the Power to Live Your Dreams
THE TOP 10 AREAS TO START TURNING YOUR LIFE AROUND Sometimes the changes we would like to make in our lives are so far-reaching that the mere thought of them overwhelms us. We become frozen with fear and are unable to make a start. Remember, though, that one thing leads to another. If you start to change just one area of your life, the next will be easier, and so on. Here are ten possible areas to start: You as a person What do you like about yourself? What do you dislike? How can you change it? (Hint: if you're not sure what needs to be changed, take a look at what you try to keep hidden from others.) For further reading: Your thinking Your unconscious takes orders from the programming you give it. Do you limit yourself? Talk negatively to yourself? Find all the reasons why not? Instead, be aware of your negative messages to yourself so that you can refuse them. Then turn them around and make them into positive messages. For further reading: Attitude This is often an outward manifestation of our thinking. It is what others see. Would you want to be on the receiving end of what you offer to the rest of the world? If not, why should other people? Perhaps, instead of waiting for the world to change, you could try making the first move. Associates Who do you spend your time with? Are they people you are proud to know? Do you justify your choice of friends by praising how non-judgmental they are, when actually they just have no standards? Are they people you would be glad to see your family or your colleagues spend time with? If not, what are you getting out of the relationships? Is it time for a change? Spare time How do you spend it? Does it enrich you or numb you? Do you use it to contribute or to consume? When did you last do something just because doing it made you feel joyous, proud, excited, and just plain GOOD? Check out: Work Are you proud of what you do? Do you enjoy it? Or do you dread going to work and spend the weekdays counting down the time to the next weekend? Surroundings Do your surroundings make you smile when you walk into a room? Do they reflect how good you feel about yourself? Have you added flowers, frills, colors, or whatever lifts your spirit when you look at it? Or are you surrounded by piles and stacks of stuff just waiting to be sorted, folded or put away? How much energy does just thinking about this stuff take from you every day? Eating habits Do you use food to contribute to your health and well-being or to numb yourself? Have you tried keeping a food diary for just one week? Anyone who reads or watches TV has to know by now what is good for us. How can we disrespect ourselves by not making good use of that knowledge? For further reading: Exercise Do you put more effort into maintaining your car or other transportation than into maintaining your body? We don't have to run a marathon or win an Olympic gold in order to work at maintaining the machine that we expect to carry us throughout our lives. There are so many ways to keep fit today that anyone can find something they can do, even if it is just running up and down the stairs instead of using the elevator, or taking a 15 to 20-minute walk instead of using the car. Consumption As we look at the fragility of the earth, and the limited sources of what we consume, are we doing the best we can for what our grandchildren will inherit? Or are we selfishly choosing to make our own temporary convenience more important than the quality of future lives?
The materially poor Something that M Teresa said before her death. Very thought provoking
The old woman Once there was a feeble old woman whose husband Every day the old woman's sight dimmed and
THE PARABLE OF THE MULE A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US!...
The 3 Old Men A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white
Where there is pain, we wish you peace and mercy.
THE TOP TEN THINGS TO TAKE TIME FOR If you want to review the past and make new commitments to the future, read on... Take time to dream -- it hitches your soul to the stars. Take time to work -- it is the price of success. Take time to think -- it is the source of power. Take time to play -- it is the secret of youth. Take time to read -- it is the foundation of knowledge. Take time to worship -- it is the highway of reverence and washes the dust of earth from your eyes. (Cf. James 1:27.) Take time to laugh -- it helps with life's loads. Take time for health -- it is the true treasure of life. Take time for friends -- they are the source of happiness. Take time to love -- it is the source of joy.
THIS IS GOOD! The story is told of a king who had a close friend with whom he TWO BLIND EYES Like the owl, it's sometimes wise Though it may be plain as day, If you cannot ease or mend, Trying not to criticise
Unconditional acceptance I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have
You are worthy Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
A real & touching story Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church,the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said--- "OK dad, I'm ready." His Pastor dad asked - "Ready for what?" "Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds - "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking - "But dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?" Dad answers - "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently the boy asks - "Dad, can I go, Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said - "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts. Be careful son." "Thanks Dad!!! " And with that he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After 2 hours of walking in the rain he was soaking bone chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell-but nobody answered. He rang it again and again but, still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally this eleven year old trooper turned to leave but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again, and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. With radiant eyes and a Smile that lit up her world this little boy said - "Mam, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU, and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE." With that he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed - "Thank you son! And God BlessYou!" Well, the following Sunday Morning in Church, Pastor Dad was in the Pulpit and as the service began he asked - "Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the Church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak a look of glorious radiance came from her face as she said - "None of you in this church know me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on, some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart as I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought - 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.' I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again - 'Who on earth could this be?! Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes for there on my front porch was the most radiant and Angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, Oh, I could never describe it to you!!! And the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with cherub like voice - 'Mam, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.' Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little Angel disappeared back out, into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see, I am now a Happy Child of the KING, and since the address of your Church was on the back of this Gospel Tract I have come here to personally say THANK YOU TO GOD'S LITTLE ANGEL WHO CAME JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME AND, BY SO DOING, SPARED MY SOUL FROM ETERNITY IN HELL." There were now no dry eyes in the Church. And as Shouts of Praise, and Honor to THE KING, resounded off the ery rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little Angel was seated; He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no Church has had a more glorious moment. And probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son - EXCEPT for one - this FATHER also allowed His Son to go out into a Cold & Dark World. He received His Son back with Joy unspeakable, and as all of Heaven Shouted Praises and Honor to THE KING, The FATHER sat HIS BELOVED SON on a Throne far above all Principality and Power....and every name that is named.... There may be SOMEONE, reading this, who is also going through a dark, cold, lonely time in your soul. You may be a Christian, for we are not without problems, or you may not yet know THE KING. Whatever the case, and whatever the problem or situation you find yourself in, and no matter how DARK it may seem, I want you to know that I just came to tell you, my friend - JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.
INSTALLING LOVE Customer Service Rep: Can you install LOVE? Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first? CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma'am? Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running? CS Rep: What programs are running ma'am? Customer: Let me see....I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now. CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am? Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how? CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased. Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal? CS Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message? Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed? CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades. Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. What should I do? CS Rep: What does the message say? Customer: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS". What does that mean? CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before It can "LOVE" others. Customer: So what should I do? CS Rep: Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"? Customer: Yes, I have it. CS Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this. Customer: Thank you. CS Rep: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back. Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART! CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go... Customer: Yes? CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you. Customer: I will. Thank you for your help
IMPORTANT NOTICE The maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to the serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal Non-Morality,' or more commonly known as SIN, as it is primarily symptomized by loss of moral judgment. Some other symptoms: Loss of direction Foul vocal emissions Amnesia of origin Lack of peace and joy Selfish, or violent, behavior Depression or confusion in the mental component Fearful Idolatry The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service, free of charge to correct this SIN defect. The number to call for the recall station in your area is: 1-800-P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN by pressing R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E. Next, download J-E-S-U-S into the heart. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, the JESUS repair will replace it with: Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Please see operating manual, HOLY BIBLE, for further details on the use of these fixes. WARNING: Continuing to operate the human unit without correction, voids the manufacturer's warranty, exposing owner to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on J-E-S-U-S. DANGER: The human units not receiving this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect must not enter heaven or else heaven will be infected. Author: The Creator
The following was inserted on 22 Jan 2001 Get a Bigger Frying Pan Two men went fishing. One man was an experienced fisherman, the other wasn't. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?" he asked. The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan." Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big jobs, big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small. We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith? Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way. You can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13). Nothing is too big for God.
Empathy After a conversation with one of my friends, he told me despite taking 2 jobs, he brings back barely above 1k per month, he is happy as he is. I wonder how he can be as happy as he is considering he has to skimp his life with the low pay to support a pair of old parents, in-laws, a wife, 2 daughters and the many bills of a household.
You may ask why did the mother do so, has the child been naughty, has the child's hand been infected? No, it was done for two simple words - - - TO BEG! The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped so that the child can go out to the streets to beg. I cannot accept how this could happen, but it really did, just in another part of the world which I don't see. Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a piece of bread he was eating half-way. And almost instantly, a flock of 5 or 6 children swamped towards this small piece of bread which was covered with sand, robbing bits from one another. The natural reaction of hunger. Stricken by the happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to the nearest bakery.
He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf of bread he found in the bakeries.
The owner was dumbfounded but willingly sold everything. He spent less than $100 to obtain
about 400 loaves of bread (this is less than $0.25 per loaf) and spent another $100 to get
daily necessities. Off he went in the truck full of bread into the streets. As he
distributed the bread and necessities He began to ask himself how fortunate he is. How fortunate he is to be able to have a complete body, have a job, have a family, have the chance to complain what food is nice and what isn't, have the chance to be clothed, have the many things that these people in front of him are deprived of...
"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the realization of how
much you already have." Broken bones and hurt feeling A man came out of his house to admire his brand new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering away dents into the shiny paint. He ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hand into a pulp as a punishment. When the father calmed-down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I am sorry about your truck". Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home and committed suicide. Think about the story the next time you see someone spill milk at a dinner table or hear a baby cry. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired. BUT broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever. THEREFORE, Pause & ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Understand & love. You never lose by loving, You always lose by holding back. "HOPE THE ABOVE IS ALWAYS IN OUR MIND"
Message for the Week "And delivered just Lot." 2 Pet 2:7 LOT was a godly man, justified before God by faith, and justified before man by his good works. But he was a weak man. He chose to dwell in Sodom because it was a wealthy place; he aimed at a fortune, but he was vexed and grieved daily, by seeing and hearing of the unrighteous deeds of his neighbours. His children married into the world, and were ruined: and he himself, though delivered by a gracious and faithful God, suffered severely. His sons and their wives perished in Sodom; his own wife was made an example of on the plain: he was hurried away without a solitary servant, or any property of importance: and had to take up his dwelling in a cave. See the folly of being led by appearances: let not the heart follow the eye. See also the certainty of being chastened for sin--just Lot could not escape: the faithfulness of divine love towards its wayward children; and the importance of being distinct from the world. The Christian in the world is like Lot in Sodom, and if he chooses his place from the same motives, the Lord may deal with him after the same rule. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. [Romans 8: 28]
Eleanor Roosevelt wrote: Many people will walk in and out of your life, But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; Great minds discuss ideas; He who loses money, loses much; Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, Learn from the mistakes of others.
Friend Friends, you and me.... Short Quote Yesterday is history. As long as we have memories, yesterday remains Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life. Do not give up when you have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope. To be without hope is to be without purpose. Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been but also where you are going. Life is not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
The Inspiring Story Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say: When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "if I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter, " Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read "he's a dead man. I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. "Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. You have two choices now: 1. Delete this. 2. Forward it to the people you care about. I hope you will choose #2. I did.
The following was inserted on 03 Nov 2000 Mrs.Thompson and Teddy Stoddard There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs.Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class." By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets." A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs.Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr.Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you." # Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift from God; That's why it's called the 'Present' # Don't take life for granted. Enjoy each day to the fullest. You can make a difference.
The Carpenter An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But we cannot go back. You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. "Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live in tomorrow. Build wisely! # Remember...Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching.
The following was inserted on 29 Oct 2000 DENYING YOURSELF What does it mean to die to self? When you can watch your peers and those close to you prosper and succeed without feeling jealous, but rather rejoice in their success, then you can know the meaning of denying yourself. When you can see others obtain goals that you fail to reach and see others receive rewards and recognition that you’d like to have without being envious, that’s denying yourself. When you can see other people’s needs being met with abundance while your needs are far greater and you don’t question God or fail to be grateful for what you do have, that’s denying yourself. When you choose to serve your wife (or your husband or your children) and you put their needs ahead of yours, that denying yourself. When you share your faith, knowing that you may be insulted or put down, that’s denying yourself When you don’t seek praise or fish for compliments and approval from others, When you can live without constantly being recognized and applauded That’s denying yourself. When you draw out the other person in conversation rather than telling all your stories and opinions, that’s denying yourself. When you tell the truth even at personal expense, that’s denying yourself. When you pay your fair share of taxes when everybody else is cheating, When you can accept criticism willingly and learn from it with a teachable attitude, When you allow others to do a job when you know you are better trained to do, That’s denying yourself. When you submit to an authority over you in deference to God, even though you don’t agree or understand, When you can be content with less than the best of circumstances without griping or complaining, When you can accept interruptions that God places in your schedule, patiently bear with irritations, That’s denying yourself. When people break promises to you and let you down, and you refuse to become bitter, When you are misjudged unfairly, when your motives are questioned and you don’t retaliate, That’s denying yourself. When you are content to let God settle the score and content to wait for your reward in heaven, that’s denying yourself. When you have the attitude of Jesus Christ, that’s denying yourself.
The following was inserted on 25 Oct 2000 THE ECHO OF LIFE A man and his son were walking in a forest. Suddenly the boy trips and, feeling a sharp pain, he screams, "Ahhhhh!" Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain, "Ahhhhh!" Filled with curiosity, he cries, "Who are you?" But the only answer he receives is, "Who are you?" This makes him angry, so he screams, "You are a coward!" The voice answers, "You are a coward!" He looks at his father, asking, "Dad, what is going on?" "Son," the man replies, "pay attention!" Then he screams, "I admire you!" The voice answers, "I admire you!" The father shouts, "You are wonderful!" And the voice answers, "You are wonderful!" The boy is surprised, but still can't understand what is going on. Then the father explains, "People call this the echo of life. Whatever you shout at life, it will shout back the same thing to you."
THE TRUTH OF LOVE God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on! When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God is thinking of something better to give you. When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard. You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your worth. The measure of love is when you love without measure. In life there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you love and loves you in return. So once you have it don't ever let go; the chance might never come your way again. It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride. We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give. When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you fight the mistakes, you accept the faults, and you overlook the excuses. Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place. Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older. Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less. No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
The Most Important Body Part My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body and through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger I thought sound was very important to us as humans so I said, "My ears, Mommy." She said "No, many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon." Several years passed before she asked me again. Since my last attempt I contemplated a correct answer. So I told her "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes." She looked at me and told me that I was learning fast but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind. Stumped again I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years she asked me a couple more times and always the same answer "No. But you are getting smarter every year my young child." Then last year my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it is only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me "Do you know the most important body part yet my son?" And I was shocked she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past I have told you that it was wrong and given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson." She looked down at me like only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "Son, the most important body part is your shoulder." Was it because it held up my head? She replied, "No, because it can hold the head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life my son. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it." Then and there I knew the most important body part was not selfish, it was sympathetic to the pain of others. You are a friend and whenever you want you can cry on my shoulder.
Remember Remember, it's not your job to get people to like you. It's your job to like people. When someone gives you something, never say, "You shouldn't have." Believe in miracles, but don't depend on them. What you do today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. Don't forget that we are ultimately judged by what we give, not by what we get. When someone lets you down, don't give up on him. When a friend is in need, help him without his having to ask. Remember that loving words quickly heal. Don't let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know you were meant to do. Seek respect rather than popularity. Be willing to accept a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement. Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others. To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time and half the money. When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell him/her so.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE
The 4 wives in our lives There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He was very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant was always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!" Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die. Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. The 1st wife is in fact our soul and spirit, often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.
A Simple Gesture Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. Mark went home after dropping Bill at his house. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school, where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year came. Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."
LIFE IS A SERIES OF PROBLEM-SOLVING OPPORTUNITIES The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life: 1. God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30 (GN) 2. God uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags. If you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3 (NCV) 3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something ... health, money, a relationship. . . by losing it. ". . . It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws." Psalm 119:71-72 (LB) 4. God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. . ." Genesis 50:20 (NIV) 5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems. . . they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-4 (LB) Here's the point: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him! " Never resist a temporary inconvenience if it results in a permanent improvement " How amazing!
Middle of Bible Do you know that: 1) Psalms 118 is the middle chapter of the entire bible? 2) Before Psalms 118, Psalms 117 is the shortest chapter in the bible? 3) After Psalms 118, Psalms 119 is the longest chapter in the bible? 4) That there are 594 chapters each before and following Psalms 118? 5) That if you add up all the chapters except Psalms 118, you get a total of 1188 chapters. 6) And incidentally, 1188 or Psalms 118 verse 8 also happens to be the middle verse of the entire bible. The central verse should have a fairly important message don't you think? "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
ONE GALLON OF MILK One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to foor to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She though he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. Previously, he nearly was ready to give up and quit. Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the ocnsultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: "PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK." (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly
God won't ask 1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll know how many people you drove who didn't have transportation. 2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, but He'll know how many people you welcomed into your home in HIS name. 3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He will know how many you helped to clothe. 4. God won't ask about your social status, but He will know what kind of class you displayed. 5. God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but He'll know if they dictated your life. 6. God won't ask what your highest salary was, but He'll know if you compromised your character to obtain it and whether or not you gave as you prospered. 7. God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but He'll know if you worked for yourself or for your family. 8. God won't ask how many promotions you received, but He'll know how you promoted others. 9. God won't ask what your job title was, but He'll know if you performed your job to the best of your ability 10. God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but He'll know what you did to help others. 11. God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll know how many people to whom you were a friend. 12. God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but He'll know what you did to protect the rights of others. 13. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll know how you treated your neighbors. 14. God won't ask about the color of your skin, but He'll know about the content of your character. 15. God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but He'll know how many times they didn't.
Someone said Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ---Mark Twain
The Parable of the Pencil (Unknown Author) The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be. "#1 -- You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand. "#2 -- You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil. "#3 -- You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. "#4 -- The most important part of you will always be what's inside. "#5 -- On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition you must continue to write." The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in his heart. But now the pencil lay on the dark wood table, feeling insignificant and rather sad. Beside him on the desk was a colorful tin can, filled with every kind of beautiful pen to be had. There were silver fountain pens and a neon felt tip marker. There was also a classy ballpoint whom everyone called Parker. "What a loser," they said of the pencil, as they observed his wooden frame. "Don't bother with him, he's a nobody," said Parker, "He doesn't even have a name." Now the world was at war and their owner was a Soldier who was tasked to bring peace to the land. "What we need is a map," the Soldier had said, at the desk across from his Officer the other night. "If someone can fly me over the city unseen, I can draw a map from the sky. The map will tell you where to go and how to win, and soon we'll put an end to this fight." The Officer had agreed and now the Soldier would fly, but first he discussed with his wife. "I'll need something to draw with, something dependable . . . something that won't fail me mid-flight." The Soldier looked at his dark wood desk, and observed all the pens in the can. He studied each one, their bodies all shimmering, and he weighed them all in his hand. "This one won't work," he said of a pen, "the ink might blot on the map. This one needs to be refilled every few hours, and this one will dry out without a cap." He looked at each one and always found something wrong, or anticipated problems if he used it in the sky. "I need something that would work whatever the conditions, and I need it soon my dear wife." "Then take this pencil." his wife finally said, handing him the frail and battered yellow thing. "It will write no matter what, it will write on a plane -- it's the best writing tool you can bring." The Soldier smiled, kept the pencil in his pocket, and took it with him on the plane. He finished the map and the map helped bring them peace ... and the pencil has never been the same. The pencil was now nothing more than a stub; what was left of his lead was now broken. His eraser was gone, his wood frame had split, and some time ago his metal ring had been stolen. Now he stood before the Pencil Maker, and waited for him to say those five words. "Well done, my faithful pencil," the Pencil Maker said, "You have written what you were meant to write in the world."
THE PEARL NECKLACE Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?" Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her Grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower – her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green? Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would read Jenny her favorite story. One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said. "Well, then, give me your pearls." "Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?" "Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. "Good night, little one." A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you." "Well, then, give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to her father. "No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams." Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. "Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand. With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, bad relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe in one thing: God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.
Mary and Martha Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Both of them said to Him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died". Back of it all we seem to read their thought: Lord we do not understand why you have stayed away so long. We do not understand how you could let death come to the man whom you loved. We do not understand how you could let sorrow and suffering ravage our lives when your presence might have stayed it all. Why did you not come? It is too late now, for already he has been dead four days!" And to it all Jesus had but one great truth "You may not understand; but I tell you if you believe, you will see". Abraham could not understand why God should ask the sacrifice of the boy; but he trusted. And he saw the glory of God in his restoration to his love. Moses could not understand why God should keep him forty years in the wilderness, but he trusted; and he saw when God called him to lead forth Israel from bondage. Joseph could not understand the cruelty of his brethren, the false witness of a perfidious woman, and the long years of an unjust imprisonment; but he trusted, and he saw at last the glory of God in it all. Jacob could not understand the strange providence which permitted the same Joseph to be torn from his father's love but he saw the glory of God when he looked into the face of that same Joseph as the victory of a great king, and the preserver of his own life and the lives of a great nation. And so, perhaps in your life, you say, " I do not understand why God let my dear one be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to smite me. I do not understand the perilious paths by which the Lord is leading me. I do not understand why plans and purposes that seemed good to my eyes should be baffled. I do not understand why blessings I so much need are so long delayed". We do not have to understand all God's ways with you. God does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect your child to understand, only believe. Some day you will see the glory of God in the things which you do not understand. Let's hold onto God's word - Rom 8:28 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.'
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six pack of root beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!" Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected." Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
Are You too BUSY? Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!" Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ." Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly! Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon, they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!" It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Does "busy" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke? Please pass this on or are you too BUSY?!
The following was inserted on 02 Oct 2000 THE PARABLE OF THE MULE A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...he should shake it off and step up! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. That's life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us.
INSPIRING STORIES In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modelling Agency, told modelling hopeful Norma Jean Baker, "You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married. " She went on and became Marilyn Monroe. In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired a singer after one performance. He told him, "You ain't goin' nowhere....son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck." He went on to become the most popular singer in America named Elvis Presley. When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 experiments before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how it felt to fail so many times. He said, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step process." In the 1940's, another young inventor named Chester Carlson took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country. They all turned him down. In 1947 - after seven long years of rejections! - he finally got a tiny company in Rochester, New York, the Haloid Company, to purchase the rights to his invention - an electrostatic paper-copying process. Haloid became the Xerox Corporation we know today. Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face.
Enjoy Yourself, It's Later Than You Think Waiting for my plane one morning, I was not aware of any children nearby, only adults reading their newspapers, chatting with others or gazing into space. Suddenly there was an announcement over the loudspeaker that the flight had been canceled. Disgruntled, the passengers made their way to the counter to be reticketed. Two children, perhaps six and seven years old, caught my eye. They were the only ones not complaining. They were the only ones who seemed to be having a good time in spite of the situation. Sitting on the floor, they reached into a small carry-on bag, pulled out a handful of plastic Mutant Ninja Turtles, and proceeded to enjoy themselves. When they tired of this, they traced the lines of the carpet with their feet. They repeatedly counted the number of colors in each section of the rug. And they made up a game by hopping from one pattern to another. Kids can amuse themselves with almost anything. I remember my mother telling me that when I was very young, we would sometimes visit a distant aunt. I would immediately go into the kitchen, take out all the pots and pans from the cabinet and proceed to play with them for hours. The lesson adults can learn here is that the world is filled with things for our enjoyment. The trick is to open our eyes and look for them. "On the whole...kids are pretty lucky," writes Michael Burkett, author of "The Dad Zone". They can find a penny on the sidewalk and feel rich. They can find a fossil-shaped rock and feel like Indiana Jones. They can find an anthill and feel like God. Kids find enjoyment in the simplest of things. You can too. In Woody Allen's movie musical, "Everyone Says I Love You", there is a scene in a funeral parlor. Suddenly all of the corpses jump out of their coffins and start to sing and dance. The song they perform is "Enjoy Yourself, It's Later Than You Think." Kids don't need to learn the song's message, they are masters of enjoyment. But grown-ups do. So enjoy yourself, it's later than you think.
Love your mother while you still can I had a marvellous mother who loved me, sacrificed for me and helped me in every way possible. In all of my growing up, through college and eventually marriage, my mother was always at my side. And when I needed help with my little ones, she was there for me. Today, we buried this wonderful woman. Can you imagine how I felt when I returned from the services and found this poem in her desk drawer? THE TIME IS NOW Love me now while I am living If you have tender thoughts of me So if you love me, even a little
bit Now she is gone and I am sick with guilt because I never told her what she meant to me. Worse yet, I did not treat her as she deserved to be treated. I found time for everyone and everything but I never made time for her. It would have been easy to drop in for a cup of tea and a hug but my friends came first. Would any of them have done for me what my mother did? I know the answer. When I called mom on the phone, I was always in a hurry. I feel ashamed when I think of the times I cut her off. I remember too, the times I could have included her and didn't. Our children loved Grandma from the times they were babies. They often turn to her for comfort and advice. She understood them. I realise now that I was too critical, too short-tempered, too stingy with praise. Grandma gave them unconditional love. The world is filled with sons, daughters and a child like me. I hope they see themselves in this letter and realise something from it.
A farmer's son His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman, "you saved my son's life." "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. Years afterwards, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
THE ANT AND THE CONTACT LENS A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me." Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but do you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it. Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You." I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will." God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should
do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organised a school.
They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it
easier to administer the curriculum, all animals took all the subjects. 19 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME 50 YEARS TO LEARN Chicken Soup for the Soul: Home Delivery
57 CENTS TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE SPECIAL He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischieviousness delightful. Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!" I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day. One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!" It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister." At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the "new math," he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third. One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend." That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much." No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again. That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip – the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply says, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began. "Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is." Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark. I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, "Mark I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me." The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said. After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it." Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it." Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash."I think we all saved our lists." That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late. MAY YOUR DAY BE AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE.
FUNNY ISN'T IT? Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary? Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God). Funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace. FUNNY, ISN'T IT? Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Let Dead Ducks Lie In his book, "Will Daylight Come?" Robert Heffler pens this moving illustration. There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given a slingshot to play with in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch that day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." But Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you." Thought for the day: whatever is in your past, whatever you have done and the enemy keeps throwing up in your face (lying, debt, fear, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc) whatever it is, you need to know that Jesus Christ was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the enemy make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that He not only forgives you, but He forgets. Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today. Share this with a family member or friend. Remember, that Jesus is at the window. So folks, the moral of the story is? No, not trying to sound like you-know-who here but are you going to let a dead DUCK (for heaven's sake it's only a duck!) haunt you for the rest of you natural life!? Yeah some of you might be saying that it was her pet duck and sin is much bigger than a duck. But remember that God is much bigger than our sin and much bigger than us for that matter. So if He loved us so much that He could forgive us, how can we not forgive ourselves? In any case, sin is not God's pet duck anymore than it should be ours. I say let dead ducks lie (to coin a phrase!)!! Get on with the abundant life that Our Creator has given us to enjoy, pressed down shaken and running over.
Simple Rule To Be Happy God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on! When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God is thinking of something better to give you. When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard. You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realise your worth. The measure of love is when you love without measure. In life there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you love and loves you in return. So once you have it don't ever let go, the chance might never come your way again. It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride. We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give. When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you fight the mistakes, you accept the faults , and you overlook the excuses. Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place. Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older. Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less. No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
SHORT QUOTE Attitude is a little thing that makes a Big difference "People are like tea bags - you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are."
Parable of the Turtle Picnic A turtle family went on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outings. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found it. For about six months they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left. Three years passed- and the little turtle still hasn't returned. Five years...six years.. then in the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, "SEE I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt." Some of us waste our lives waiting for people to live up to our expectations of them. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.
The Parable of the Donkey There is an ancient story about a father and his son walking along a road one day with a donkey. Soon they met a man who told them how foolish they were to walk when they had a donkey that could be ridden. So the father and son hopped on. They hadn't gotten very far when another man criticized them for both riding the donkey. They were too heavy for it, he contended and were being inhumane. So the boy got off. It wasn't long before a third traveller accused the father of being inconsiderate because he made his son walk while he rode donkey. So the two switched places. Soon they met another person who thought the son was not being thoughtful of his father who was so much older than he. When last seen, the two were trudging down the road carrying the donkey. And what is the moral of this story? Too often we live our life trying to live up to other's expectations. You too, if you are trying to meet all the expectations of others, you will end up carrying a needless burden of guilt and inadequacy.
SHORT QUOTE It is nice to be important. But it is important to be nice
Tell the truth or pay the consequences
The following was inserted on Sep 2000 The Blessed Test ~ Author Unknown I woke up this morning and knew that today, The sun would not be shining and the clouds would be gray. As I stepped outside, rain fell upon my head. My car wouldn't start so I walked to school instead. I forgot all of my assignments, I failed all of my tests. I dropped my head in disgust and asked the Lord for one request. "Lord, why is it that things won't go my way?" He gently replied, "Dear child it is because you didn't thank me yesterday. I woke you up and enabled you to see the sun again. I gave you shelter, protected your family, and even let you make a new friend. I blessed you far greater than I ever had before. But you were too busy to thank me once more. You didn't feel sick because I maintained your health. You had money in your pocket because I maintained your wealth. You had shoes on your feet and clothes to wear, too. You had plenty of food to eat, and what did you do?
You ignored me and went about your tasks. But when you wanted something you never hesitated to ask. I was there when you needed me, and that wasn't too long ago. But when things started going your way, it was me you did not know. As if that weren't enough, I provided your favourite luxuries. This was something I didn't have to do - they weren't even necessities.
And when it was time to get on your knees and show your gratitude, you decided that after such a fulfilling day, you weren't in the mood. So I decided to give you just a little test. To show you how it would feel to stop being blessed."
I began to realize what the Lord was saying. And when I got home, I fell to my knees and started praying. He said, "My child, you have learned and you know I do forgive. But remember to remember this day as long as you shall live. I love filling your life with joy, and your pain I'll alleviate it. But just a simple thank you would show how much you appreciate it."
~ shared by Poh Ban Guan
The Price of a Miracle ~ Author Unknown Tess was a precocious eight years old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now." Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too intently talking to another man to be bothered by an eight years old at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. He's really, really sick ...... and I want to buy a miracle." "I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?" "We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you." the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs." The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?" "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs a operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money. "How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to." "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents -- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents. ...plus the faith of a little child. ~ shared by Roger Leong
BURDEN He raises a glass of water and asks the audience "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?" "It depends on how long you hold it" "If I hold it for a minute, it is Ok." "If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm" "If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance" "It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes" If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier. "What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again." We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. When you return home from work, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Rest and relax. We should take one day at a time!!!!!
The following was inserted on Apr 2000 Sai Wong Loses His Horse
S L O W D A N C E Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last
Do you run through each day on the fly When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed With the next hundred chores running through your head?
You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last
Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die 'Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last
When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away... Life is not a race. Do take it slower Hear the music Before the song is over.
(Pg 105, 106)
(Pg 107)
(Pg 50,51, also Pg 46, another book same author)
(Pg 112)
(Pg 113,114)
(Pg 128)
(Pg 139)
(Pg 132, another book same author) |
