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A.S.A.P.
Ever wonder about the abbreviation ASAP? Generally, we think of it in
terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of
this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way
to deal with those rough days along the way.
There's work to do, deadlines to meet,
You've got no time to spare.
But as you hurry and scurry,
ASAP - Always Say A Prayer.
In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best, let God do the rest,
ASAP - Always Say A Prayer.
It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather,
ASAP - Always Say A Prayer.
God knows how stressful life is,
He wants to ease our care;
And He'll respond to all your needs,
ASAP - Always Say A Prayer.
Submitted
By Debbie Winans
Been
Stopped By a Brick Lately?
About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was traveling 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! BRAKES SCREECHED!!!
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 do you think you are 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 by getting 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, checked to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched, as the younger brother pushed 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 dented 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 that are coming at/to you.
"It was not with perishable things such as silver and gold
that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your
forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect"
1 Peter 1: 18 -19
Submitted by Sue McGuire
"I'll never forgive him. I told him I would never forgive him."
The elderly lady spoke softly, but with resolve, as the nurse brought her
nightly medication. The lady's expression was troubled as she turned away,
focusing on the drape wrapped around her nursing home bed. This brief exchange
revealed a deep, deep hurt. She told of how her brother
had approached her bed, accusing her of taking more than her share of family
heirlooms following their mother's death. He spoke of various items, ending with
"the berry spoon." He said, "I want the berry spoon." For
the forty years since the mother's death he had hidden his feelings,
and now they erupted. She was both hurt and angered by his accusation and vowed
never to forgive him. "It's my spoon. Mother gave it to me," she
defended herself. "He's wrong and I won't forgive him."
Standing at her bedside, the nurse felt her own spirit soften and grieve.
A spoon--a berry spoon! In the bed lay a woman given two months to live--just
sixty days--and she would face eternity and never see her brother again in this
life. Her mind and spirit were in anguish, and her
only remaining family ties were broken over a berry spoon.
As the nurse returned to her station, she thought: "How many berry spoons
are there in my life? How many things, as insignificant as a spoon, in light of
eternity, separate me from God-and from others? How does a lack of forgiveness
keep me separated from my family? She asked God to search her heart. "How
many berry spoons are there in my life?"
Author: unknown
Submitted by: Corine Thomison
Submitted by: Sandi Wallace
"Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist
professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of this new students to
stand.
"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
"Yes, sir."
"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."
The professor smiles knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers
for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over
here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you
try?"
"Yes, sir, I would."
"So you're good.!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you
could. In
fact, most of us would if we could. God doesn't."
No answer.
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though
he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmmmm? Can you
answer that one?"
No answer.
The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a
sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In
philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.
"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er, yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters. "From..God.."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his
bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience.
"I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and
gentlemen."
He turns back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this
world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God made everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
No answer.
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
All the terrible things--do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"Who created them?"
No answer.
The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME,
PLEASE!"
The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a
still small voice, he asks "God created all evil, didn't he, son?"
No answer. The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.
Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging
panther. The class is mesmerized.
"Tell me", he continues, "how is it that God is good if he created all evil
throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the
wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the
torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all
over the world, isn't it, young man?"
No answer.
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't
you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is
God good?"
No answer.
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."
The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use
to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you every felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus...in fact, do
you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
No answer.
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
".yes."
"That take FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling.
"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says
your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God
now?"
The student doesn't answer.
"Sit down, please."
The Christian sits, defeated.
Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard!
Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."
The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making,
sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such a thing as heat?"
"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No, sir, there isn't."
The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes quiet.
The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat, or no heat but we don't have
anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we
can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would
be able to go colder than negative 458 degrees. You see, sir, cold is only a word we
use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can
measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat,
sir, just the absence of it."
Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"Yes."
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of
something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if
you have no light constantly you have nothing. It's called darkness, isn't it?
That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't it.
If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it.
Can you give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"
Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will
indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young
man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must be in error.."
The professor goes toxic. "Flawed..? How dare you.!"
"Sir, may I explain what I mean?" The class is all ears.
"Explain, oh, explain." The professor makes an admirable effort to
regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence
the class, for the student to continue.
"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains.
"That, for example, there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad
God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and
magnetism but has never seen, but less fully understood them. To view death as the
opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive
thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."
The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been
reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts,
professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is, now look.."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality.
Is there such a thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of
justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses.
"Isn't evil the absence of good?"
The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily
speechless.
The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all
agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of
evil. What is that work God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see
if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil." The
professor bridles.
"As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with
any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other
theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not
observable."
"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably
one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies.
"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me,
professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course
I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?" The professor
makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.
"Professor. Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and
cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavor, are you not teaching your
opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"
"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion.
Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is -- that's science!"
"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin.
"Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena.
Science too is a premise which is flawed."
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED.?" the professor sputters. The class is in an
uproar.
The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue
the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what
I mean?"
The professor wisely remains silent.
The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out in laughter. "Is
there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain,
touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so.
The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no one here has had any
sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules
of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says the professor has no
brain."
The class is in chaos.
The Christian sits.
Author unkown
Submitted by Charles M. Hill
As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was.
"We're behind 14 to nothing", he answered with a smile.
"Really", I said. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged".
"Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet!"
Author unknown
Submitted by P.A. Willmon
Do
It Anyway
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of being selfish, or having ulterior
motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and GOD;
It was never between you and them.....Anyway.
Stan Buck tells the story about a little girl,
who on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, "Mommy,
the preacher's sermon this morning confused me."
The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?"
The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is
bigger than we are. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's true,"
the mother replied.
"He also said that God lives within us.
Is that true, too?"
Again the mother replied, "Yes."
"Well," said
the girl, "if God is bigger than us and he
lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"
I like that little girl's way of putting it. If God lives in us, then
there's no way of keeping Him from "showing through". That's the
essence of Christian living---living in such a way that people around will see
God in our lives.
Matthew 5:16
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father in Heaven."
Anonymous
Submitted by: Guy & Donna Hendricks
A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew.
She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork. As she got to
one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
Drinking
From My Saucer
I've never made a fortune
and it's probably too late now
But I don't worry about that much
I'm happy anyhow
And as I go along life's way
I'm reaping better than I sow
I'm drinking from my saucer
'Cause my cup has overflowed
Haven't got a lot of riches
and sometimes the going's tough
But I've got loving ones around me
and that makes me rich enough
I thank God for his blessings
and the mercies He's bestowed
I'm drinking from my saucer
'cause my cup has overflowed
O, Remember times when things went wrong
My faith wore somewhat thin
But all at once the dark clouds broke
and sun peeped through again
So Lord, help me not to gripe
about the tough rows that I've hoed
I'm drinking from my saucer
"Cause my cup has overflowed
If God gives me strength and courage
When the way grows steep and rough
I'll not ask for other blessings
I'm already blessed enough
And may I never be too busy
to help others bear their loads
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer
"Cause my cup has overflowed
Author unknown
Submitted by: Mark E Trayler
As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday--but I noticed you were too busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work. I waited again.
When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point, you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair.
Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip. I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities, I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, and that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't.
That's okay. There is still more time left, and I have hope that you will talk to me yet. You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spent a lot of time each day in front of it, not thinking about anything--just enjoying the show. I waited patientl again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family, you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got more patience than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.
I love you so much that I wait every day for a nod, prayer, thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well, you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you, hoping that today you will give me some time.
Have a nice day!
Your friend,
GOD
Author unknown
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
Emergency
Phone Numbers
When in sorrow, call John 14
When people fail you, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6: 19-34
When you are in danger, call Psalm
91
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring,
call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful,
call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical,
call 1 Cor. 13
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17
For idea of Christianity, call 1
Cor: 5:15-19
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8: 31-39
When you want peace and rest, call
Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance,
call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or
selfish, call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task,
call Joshua 1
How to get along with fellowmen, Call Romans 12
When you think of
investments/returns, call Mark 10
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty, call
Psalm 37
If you're losing confidence in
people, call 1 Cor: 13
If people seem unkind, call John 15
If discouraged about your work, call
Psalm 126
If you find the Word growing small,
and yourself great, call Psalm 19
Emergency numbers may be dialed
direct.
No operator assistance is
necessary.
All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours a day.
God is still on the throne; we're
still on the footstool;
and here's only a knee's distance
between!
Author unknown
Submitted by: Delta Sawyer
Toothpick
Rubber band
Band aid
Pencil
Eraser
Chewing gum
Mint
Candy Kiss
Tea Bag
Here's why:
Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good
qualities in
others...Matt 7:1
Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things
might not
always go the way you want, but it will work
out...Romans 8:28
Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours
or
someone else's...Col. 3:12-14
Pencil - To remind you to list your blessings
everyday...Eph1:3
Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes,
and it's
okay...Gen. 50:15-21
Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you
can
accomplish anything ...Phil 4:13
Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your
heavenly
father...John 3:16-17
Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss
or a hug
everyday...1 John 4:7
Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that
list of
God's blessings...1 Thess 5:18
Author unknown
Submitted by: Rebecca Bass
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer only delivering one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts", the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table."
"Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Spirit will use our flaws to grace God's table.
Take up your cross and follow me,
Wherever I may lead
Your back will ache, your feet grow tired,
And yes, your heart will bleed.
But we shall walk together
And I will share your lot,
For I am always with you,
And will forget you not.
Take up your cross and follow me,
And I will fill you days
With joy that only I can give,
In so many precious ways.
So learn to know me better,
For there are miles to go
And rest your head upon my heart,
For I have loved you so.
The light grows dim, the dusk descends,
The sunlight turns to shade.
I give my angels charge of you
So do not be afraid.
But trust in me, and do not grieve
For what has come and gone.
I will provide for all your needs,
Because you are my own.
My yoke is sweet, my burden light
No matter where you roam.
Remember earth will pass away,
But heaven is your home.
How very brief a time man walks
Upon this earthly sod.
So love me as I first loved you
And know that I am God.
Author unknown
Submitted by Vicci Mauldin
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and
no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.
He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and
very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.
They want to reach the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day
Bill decides to attend there. He
walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has
already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church
building is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are really
looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets
closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and, when he realizes there are no
seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable
behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this
church before!)
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the preacher realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves "You can't blame him for what he's going to do... How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?"
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The preacher can't even give the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his
cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to
Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with
emotion. When the preacher gains control, he says, "What I'm about to
preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.
Be careful how you live.
You may be the only Bible some people will ever read."
Funny how a $10.00 bill looks so big
when you take it to church, but so small
when you take it to the mall.
Funny how big an hour serving God looks and how small 60 minutes are when
spent playing golf, fishing or shopping.
Funny how long a couple of hours spent at church, but how short they are when
watching a movie.
Funny how we get thrilled when a football game goes into overtime, but we
complain when a sermon is longer than the regular time.
Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible and how easy it is
to read 200-300 pages of a best selling novel.
Funny how we believe what newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how people scramble to get a front seat at any game, but scramble to
get a back seat at church service.
Funny how we cannot fit a gospel meeting into our schedule with yearly
planner but we can schedule for other events at a moment's notice.
Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks to fit a church event into our schedule, but
can adjust it for a social event at the last minute.
Funny how much difficulty some have learning a simple gospel well enough to
tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and
explain gossip about someone.
Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, and don't have any
difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.
Funny how we are so quick to take direction from a total stranger when we are
lost, but are hesitant to take God's direction to be found.
Funny how people are so consumed with what others think about them rather
than what God thinks about them.
Funny how so many churchgoers sing "Standing on the Promises" but all
they do
is sit on the premises.
Funny how people think that they can get more accomplished in a lifetime
without God than in an hour with Him.
Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven, provided they don't have to
believe, or to think, or to say, or to do anything.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford
Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a
rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a
blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously
survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat
the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and
asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I
saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath
and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister
and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his
face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the
doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right
away?"
Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he
was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.
You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16, John 13:34)
You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (2 Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28)
You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I forgive you (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on me (1 Peter 5:7)
You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
Author unknown
Submitted by: Sue McGuire
When you are tired and
discouraged from fruitless efforts...
God knows how hard you have tried.
When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish...
God has counted your tears.
If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed
you by...God is waiting with you.
When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for
a phone call...God is by your side.
When you think you've tried everything and don't know
where to turn...God has a solution.
When nothing makes sense and you are confused or
frustrated...God has the answer.
If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces
of hope...God has whispered to you.
When things are going well and you have much to be
thankful for...God has blessed you.
When something joyful happens and you are filled with
awe...God has smiled upon you.
When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to
follow...God has opened your eyes and called you by name.
Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are
facing... GOD KNOWS
Author unknown
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
When a mother saw a thunderstorm forming in
mid-afternoon, she worried about her seven-year-old daughter who would be
walking the three blocks from school to home.
So she decided to meet her along the way, thinking her daughter would be
frightened. But when the mother saw the girl, she was walking nonchalantly
along, stopping to smile whenever she would see the lightning.
Over and over, the little girl would stop, look up to the sky, and then smile
for a second each time the lightning flashed, before moving on.
Finally the mother reached her daughter and asked why she kept smiling at the
sky.
The little girl explained enthusiastically, "All the way home, God's been
taking my picture!"
Author unknown
Submitted by: Dennis Crawford
Good Thoughts For The Day
I've learned -
That you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.
That no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
That it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
That it's not what you have in your life,
but who you have in your life that counts.
That you can get by on charm, for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.
That you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do,
but to the best you can do.
That it's not what happens to people that's important,
It's what they do about it.
That you can do something in an instant,
that will give you heartache for life.
That no matter how thin you slice it,
there are always two sides.
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
That it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words,
It may be the last time you see them.
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
That we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.
That either you control your attitude,
or it controls you.
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its
place.
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
That learning to forgive takes practice.
That there are people who love you dearly,
but just don't know how to show it.
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to,
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had,
and what you've learned from them,
and less to do with how many birthdays you've
celebrated.
That you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating,
and what a tragedy it would be if they believed
it.
That your family won't always be there for you.
It may seem funny,
but people you aren't related to can take care
of you,
and love you and teach
you to trust people again.
Families aren't always biological.
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while,
and you must forgive them for that.
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
That no matter how bad your heart is broken,
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
That sometimes when my friends fight,
I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.
That just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't
mean they do.
That sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
That two people can look at the exact same thing,
and see something totally different.
That no matter how you try to protect your children,
they will eventually get hurt,
and you will hurt in the process.
That there are many ways of falling and staying in love.
That no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.
That no matter how many friends you have,
if you are their pillar you will feel lonely and lost at the times you
need them most.
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours,
by people who don't even know you.
That even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.
That writing,
as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.
That the paradigm we live in,
is not all that is offered to us.
That credentials on the wall,
do not make you a decent human being.
That the people you care most about in life,
are taken from you too soon.
That it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice,
and not hurting people's feelings,
and standing up for what you believe.
That no matter how fast,
or how far you go,
you can't outrun your
problems,
or God.
That love is not for me to keep,
but to pass on to the next person
That even if you do the right thing for the wrong reason,
it's still the wrong thing to do.
That sometimes you follow your heart,
and it takes you to wonderful places.
Author Unknown
Submitted By: Jason Kennedy
A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our
small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with
this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family.
The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the
world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in
our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche.
My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example.
Fran, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play 'big brother'
and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary
instructors. Mom taught me to love the Word of God, and Dad taught me
to obey it.
But, the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most
fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily
conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours
each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science,
he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and
seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so
lifelike that I would often laugh or cry.
He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to
our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to
see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several
movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in
particular
The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind -- but
sometimes Mom would quietly get up -- while the rest of us were
enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places -- go to her
room, read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the
stranger would leave.
You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions.
But, this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity,
for example, was not allowed in our house -- not from us, from our
friends, or adults. Our long-time visitor, however, used occasional
four-letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm.
To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted.
My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home, not even
for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and
enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other
alcoholic beverages often.
He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments
were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally
embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman
relationship were influenced by the stranger.
As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did
not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my
parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave.
More than 30 years have passed since the stranger moved in with the
young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my
Dad as he was in those early years.
But, if you were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see
him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk
and look at his pictures.
His name?
We always just called him "T.V."
Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a
family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on
the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by
profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying
chore he could find in the neighborhood.
Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer's (the elder)
children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they
knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either
of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.
After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys
finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down
into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he
attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed
his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy,
either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the
mines.
They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won
the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous
mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the
academy was almost an immediate sensation.
Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of
most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn
considerable fees for his commissioned works.
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive
dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long
and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his
honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved
brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his
ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of
mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and
I will take care of you."
All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where
Albert sat, tears streaming
down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed
and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."
Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the
long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right
cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too
late for me. Look ...look what four years in the mines have done to my hands!
The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have
been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold
a glass to return your
toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a
brush. No, brother ...
for me it is too late."
More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful
portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and
copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are
great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's
works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very
well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.
One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."
The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second
look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that none, no one --
ever makes it alone!
Author unknown
Submitted by: Kenneth St. John
Whatever our hands touch--
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture,
On doorknobs, dishes, books
As we touch, we leave our identity.
Oh please where ever I go today,
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness
and genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor,
Or a runaway daughter,
Or an anxious mother,
Or, perhaps, a dear friend!
I shall go out today
To leave heartprints,
And if someone should say
"I felt your touch",
May that one sense be YOUR LOVE
Touching through ME.
Author unknown
Submitted by: PA. Willmon
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the
Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100
points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've
done, and I'll give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on
how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50
years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "That's worth three
points!"
"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and
supported it ministry with my finances and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a
point."
"One point? I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for
homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!" the man cries. "At this rate the only way I get
into heaven is by the grace of God."
"That's it, 100 points! Come on in!"
Author unknown
Submitted by: Rebecca Bass
HOW GOOD OUR GOD IS TO ALL OF US!
1. If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed--about 1/3 of the world does
not have access to one.
2. If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are blessed to
rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.
3. If you have anyone on the planet, just one person that loves you and listens
to you--count this a huge blessing.
4. If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you are more
blessed than over 1/3 of the world.
5. If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are blessed
because you still desire what you cannot see.
6. If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe in God's
willingness to hear your prayer.
7. If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to help others
also.
8. If you have food in your frig, clothes on your back, a roof over your head,
and a place to sleep--all at the same time--you are rich in this world--about
1/2 of the world is not this wealthy.
9. If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with you and for
you, you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and agreement, which the gates of
hell cannot stand against.
10. If you have any earthly family that even halfway love you and support you,
you are blessed beyond measure.
11. If you attend a church with a church family that offers you one word of
encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.
12. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and some spare change in a
dish someplace, you are among the world's wealthy.
13. If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you, you are blessed
beyond measure.
14. If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a minute, you
are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up in Him.
15. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 1/3 of the
world.
16. If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony of battle,
imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed in indescribable measure.
17. If you have a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God's love, and
a voice to share the gospel with, you are blessed--about 1/2 of the world does
not even know who the one true God is.
18. If you can hold someone's hand, hug another person, touch someone on the
shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
19. If you can share a word of encouragement with someone else, and do it with
His love in your heart, you are blessed because you have learned how to give.
20. If you have the conviction to stand fast upon His Word and His promises, no
matter what, you are blessed because you are learning patience, endurance, and
tenacity.
21. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because most people can, but won't.
Author Unknown
Submitted by: Rebecca Bass
"HOW
TO EXPLAIN GOD"
by Danny Dutton, age
8
"How to Explain God" was written by
Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista,
California, for his third grade homework assignment.
One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the
ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.
He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are
smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His
valuable
time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and
fathers.
God's second most important job is listening
to prayers. An awful lot of
this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times
besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV
because of this. Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot
of noise in
His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees
everything
and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's
head asking for something they said you couldn't have.
Atheists are people who don't believe in God.
I don't think there are
any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church.
Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't
want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them
and
they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told
His
Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and
God said OK.
His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He
had done and all His hard
work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore,
He could stay in heaven. So He did.
And now He helps His Dad out by listening to
prayers and seeing things
which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take
care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more
important.
You can pray anytime you want and they are
sure to hear you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times.
You should always go to Church on Sunday
because it makes God happy,
and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip
church
to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach.
This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.
If you don't believe in God, besides being an
atheist, you will be very
lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp,
but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the
dark or
when you can't swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big
kids. But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you.
I
figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.
And that's why I believe in God.
Author: Danny Dutton
Submitted by: Janice Taylor
I've learned....
that the best classroom in the world
is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned....
that a kindness done is never lost.
It may take a while, but like a
suitcase on a luggage carousel, it
will return again.
I've learned....
that when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned....
that if you hang something in the closet
for a while, it shrinks two sizes.
I've learned....
that just one person saying to me,
"You've made my day!" makes my day.
I've learned....
that I feel better about myself when
I make others feel better about themselves.
I've learned....
that having a child fall asleep in your
arms is one of the most peaceful
feelings in the world.
I've learned....
that people will remember you as being
a great conversationalist if you mostly listen.
I've learned....
that one sincere apology is worth more
than all the roses money can buy.
I've learned....
that words harshly spoken are as difficult
to retrieve as feathers in a gale.
I've learned....
that being kind is more important than
being right.
I've learned....
that I need to let my friends comfort
me and hold me up, to let them know I need
support, that I'm not always as strong
as I look or act.
I've learned....
that when I'm waiting to see my doctor,
I always wish I had stuck to my diet.
I've learned....
that you should never say no to a
gift from a child.
I've learned....
that I can always pray for someone when
I don't have the strength to help him
in some other way.
I've learned....
that the more mistakes I make,
the smarter I get.
I've learned....
that no matter how serious your life
requires you to be, everyone needs a
friend to act goofy with.
I've learned....
that sometimes all a person needs is a
hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned....
that when my spouse has failed to
fulfill my needs, it's highly likely
I've also neglected his.
I've learned....
that simple walks with my father around
the block on summer nights when I was
a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned....
that life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the
faster it goes.
I've learned....
that we should be glad God doesn't
give us everything we ask for.
I've learned....
that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned....
that it's those small daily happenings
that make life so spectacular.
I've learned....
that once a relationship is over,
if you experienced more smiles than
tears, then it wasn't a waste of time.
I've learned....
that under everyone's hard shell is
someone who wants to be appreciated
and loved.
I've learned....
never to humiliate another person.
Always give him an honorable way to
back down or out of something and
still save face.
I've learned....
that the Lord didn't do it all in one
day. What makes me think I can?
I've learned....
that if you are still talking about
what you did yesterday, you haven't
done much today.
I've learned....
that to ignore the facts does not
change the facts.
I've learned....
that when you plan to get even with
someone, you are only letting that
person continue to hurt you.
I've learned....
that you view other people's children
in a whole different light when you
have some of your own.
I've learned....
that the older I get, the smarter my
parents become.
I've learned....
that when your wife simply answers,
"nothing" when you ask her what's
wrong, you're in deep trouble.
I've learned....
that love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned....
that the easiest way for me to grow as
a person is to surround myself with
people smarter than I am.
I've learned....
that I always think of the right thing
to say when it's too late.
I've learned....
that the fire of a past love will always
burn with a small flame.
I've learned....
that even at the age of forty-nine,
you can still feel like a twelve
year old child when your mother is
talking to you.
I've learned....
that no matter what their ages or how
far away they may be, you never stop
wanting to keep a protective arm
around your children.
I've learned....
to gather all the crumbs thrown my way.
They soon form a lovely, thick slice
of life and memories.
I've learned....
that when you want a garment to shrink,
it won't, and when you don't, it will
come out of the dryer and fit your cat!
I've learned....
that the kind of adults my children
are now is directly related to the kind
of children I continually told them
they were.
I've learned....
that everyone you meet deserves to
be greeted with a smile.
I've learned....
that there's nothing sweeter than sleeping
with your babies and feeling their
breath on your cheeks.
I've learned....
that men would rather be lost for hours
than stop and ask for directions.
I've learned....
that no one is perfect until you fall
in love with them.
I've learned....
that life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned....
that opportunities are never lost;
someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned....
that there is nothing better than my
dog waiting for me on the front porch,
wagging his tail when I get home.
I've learned....
that when you harbor bitterness,
happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned....
that I wish I could have told my mom
that I love her one more time before
she passed away.
I've learned....
that it is just as wrong to be rude to a
child as to an adult. In fact, it may
be more unforgivable.
I've learned....
that one should keep his words both
soft and tender, because tomorrow
he may have to eat them.
I've learned....
that a smile is an inexpensive way to
improve your looks.
I've learned....
that I can't choose how I feel, but I
can choose what I do about it.
I've learned....
that a peacock today may be a feather
duster tomorrow.
I've learned....
that nobody wants to know what you're
doing until you're doing something that
you don't want anyone to know.
I've learned....
that when your newly born grandchild
holds your little finger in his little
fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned....
that those who reach their goals too
easily have aimed too low.
I've learned....
that everyone wants to live on top of
the mountain, but all the happiness
and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned....
that when packing for a vacation, you
should take half as many clothes as you
think you will need and twice as much
money. Your clothes and money should
run out about the same time!
I've learned....
that stain resistant carpet will stain.
I've learned....
that it is best to give advice in only
two circumstances; when it is requested
and when it is a life-threatening
situation.
I've learned....
that a good friend is the one who tells
you how you really look.
I've learned....
that the less time I have to work with,
the more things I get done.
Compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
|
I
would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's
effort, instead of God's blessings;
I
would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of
the other way around;
I
would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;
I
would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to
leadership;
I
would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;
I
would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent
machines to make it convenient;
I
would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals
are valued more than human beings;
I
would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was
grounds for a lawsuit;
I
would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I
would get sports heroes to advertise them;
I
would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the
mind of every family member for my agenda;
I
would attack the family, the backbone of any nation.
I
would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family
crumbles, so does the nation;
I
would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and
movie screens, and I would call it art;
I
would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their
lifestyles should be accepted and marveled;
I
would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who
call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically
correct;
I
would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and
the Bible is for the naive;
I would dull the minds of Christians, and
make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and
obedience are optional;
I guess I would leave things pretty much
the way they are. Paul Harvey is the dean of U.S. radio commentators. |
"If
Tomorrow Never Comes"
If I knew it would be the last time
that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything right.
There will always be another day
to say our "I love you's",
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do's?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight..
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear,
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me,"
"thank you" or "it's okay".
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Janice Taylor
The innocent was punished as guilty
so that the guilty could be rewarded as innocent
In Jesus Christ our Lord
Author Frank D. Nunnally, Covina CA
Submitted By: Patsy Hartin
A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something.
"HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there?" He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.
"Jack, Jack, can you hear me?"
"Yes, yes I can hear you. I am down here!"
"I can see you Jack, are you all right?"
"Yes, but who are you? And where are you?"
"I am the Lord, Jack. I am everywhere."
"The Lord? You mean God?"
"That's me."
"God, please help me! I promise if you will get me down from here I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve you for the rest of my life."
"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's just get you down from there; then we can talk. Now listen carefully."
"I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do."
"Okay, let go of the branch."
"What?"
"I said, let go of the branch. Just trust me. Let go."
There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled,
"HELP! HELP! Is anyone ELSE up there???"
Author Anonymous
Submitted by: April King
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small,
uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he
scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to
protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then
one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in
flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened;
everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.
"God how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was
approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.
"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his
rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose
heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and
suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it
just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive
answer for it.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Sue McGuire
Kids Say The Sweetest Things..
A three year old put his shoes on by himself. His mother
noticed the left was on the right foot She said, "Son, your
shoes are on the wrong feet." He looked up at her with a
raised brow and said, "Don't kid me, Mom, I KNOW they're my feet."
~~~~~
A three-year-old went with his dad to see a litter of
kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his
mother there were 2 boy kittens & 2 girl kittens. "How did
you know?" his mother asked. "Daddy picked them up and
looked underneath," he replied, "I think it's printed on the
bottom."
~~~~~
On the first day of school, the Kindergarten teacher said,
"If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers."
A little voice from the back of the room asked, "How will
that help?"
~~~~~
A mother and her young son returned from the grocery store
and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box
of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. "What
are you doing?" his mother asked. "The box says you can't
eat them if the seal is broken," the boy explained. "I'm
looking for the seal."
~~~~~
A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He
read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and
flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was
turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?"
Author Unknown
Submitted By: Diane Readnour
Kids Say The Sweetest Things II..
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest
he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find
the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose
next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost
his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When
his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little
boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
~~~~
Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a
family. One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than
the other family members. One child suggested he was adopted
and a little girl said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted."
"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It
means,"
said the girl, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."
~~~~
A four year old was at the pediatrician for a check-up. As the doctor
looked down her ears with an otoscope, he asked, "Do you think I'll find
Big Bird in here?" The little girl stayed silent. Next, the doctor took a
tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, "Do you think
I'll find Cookie Monster down there?" Again, the little girl was silent.
Then
the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest. As he listened to her heartbeat,
he asked, "Do you think I'll hear Barney in there?" "Oh, no!",
the little girl
replied. "Jesus is in my heart. Barney's on my underpants."
~~~~
Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that
he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.
On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after
school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.
"Guess what Mom", he shouted, and then said those words that will
remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."
Author unknown
Submitted by: P.A. Willmon
Kindness is Never
Forgotten
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it
up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the
envelope
again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and
address. She
read the letter:
Dear Ruth,
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd
like to
stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table.
"Why
would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I
don't have
anything to offer."
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
"Oh my
goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have
to run down
to the store and buy something for dinner."
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents.
Five dollars
and forty cents.
"Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least."
She threw on her
coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a
half-pound of
sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand
total of
twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she
felt good as
she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?"
Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even
noticed
two figures huddled in the alleyway.
A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I
have been
living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold
and
we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady,
we'd
really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad
and,
frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if
they
really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself.
All I have is
a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest
for
dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks
anyway." The man put his
arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the
alley.
As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her
heart.
"Sir, wait!"
The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after
them.
"Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out
something else to
serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth
could see now that
she was shivering.
"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why
don't you take this
one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over
the woman's
shoulders.
Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without
her
coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and
worried
too...the Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything
to offer
Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as
she did,
she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd...the mailman doesn't usually come twice in one
day."
She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again...thank you for the lovely
meal...and
thank you also for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer
noticed.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Janice Taylor
|
There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name |
Listen
The little child whispered,
"God, speak to me"
And a meadowlark sang
But the child did not hear.
So the child yelled,
God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not hear.
The child looked around and said,
"God let me see you"
And a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.
And the child shouted,
"God, show me a miracle!"
And a life was born
But the child did not know.
So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are there!"
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child
But the child brushed the butterfly away and walked away unknowingly
Author Anonymous
Submitted by: Charles Hill
List of Emergency Phone Numbers
Print out and keep it with your Bible...
Use in case of emergency!
When in sorrow.....................................call John 14
When men fail you.................................call Psalm 27
When you have sinned..............................call Psalm 51
When you worry.............................call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger............................call Psalm 91
When God seems far away..........................call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring..................call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful...................call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical.........call I Corinthians 13
When you feel down and out.....................call Romans 8:31
When you want peace and rest..............call Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God..............call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance............call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel..........call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish..........call Psalm 67
When you want courage for a task..................call Joshua 1
When you think of investments and returns..........call Mark 10
If you are depressed..............................call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty.......................call Psalm 37
If you are losing confidence in people...call I Corinthians 13
If people seem unkind..............................call John 15
If discouraged about your work...................call Psalm 126
If self pride/greatness takes hold................call Psalm 19
If you want to be fruitful.........................call John 15
For understanding of Christianity...call II Corinthians 5:15-19
For a great invention/opportunity................call Isaiah 55
For how to get along with fellow men.............call Romans 12
For Paul's secret to happiness..........call Colossians 3:12-17
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALTERNATE NUMBERS:
For dealing with fear............................call Psalm 347
For security...................................call Psalm 121:3
For assurance....................................call Mark 8:35
For reassurance........................call Psalm 145:18
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE NOTE:
Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No operator assistance is
necessary.
All lines to Heaven are open 24 hours a day!
Feed your FAITH, and DOUBT will starve to death!
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards
sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said
"I don't think I know you, but you must be
hungry. Please come in and have something to eat" .
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No",
she said. "He's out" . "Then we cannot come
in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came
home, she told him what had happened. Go tell them I am home and
invite them in. The woman went out and invited the men in.
"We don't go into a house together", they replied.
"Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men
explained: "His name is Wealth, he said pointing to one of his
friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success and I am
Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your
husband which one of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was
overjoyed. "How nice," he said!. "Since that is the
case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with
wealth." His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we
invite Success"? Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other
corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion:
"Would it not be better to invite Love. Our home will be filled
with love". "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice",
said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our
guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love?
Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking
toward the house. The other 2 also got up and
followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success:
"I only invited Love, why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success the
other two of us would've stayed out. But since you invited Love,
wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love there is also
wealth and success!
Author unknown
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
There once was a little boy who 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
started his journey. When he had gone about 3 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 of his root beer when he
noticed the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully
accepted it and smiled at the boy. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to
see it again so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The
boy was delighted!
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling at each other, but they never said a word. As it grew darker, the little boy realized how tired he was and got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old lady 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 today." 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 on her face. He asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I at Twinkies in the park today with God." But before her son could reply she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Submitted by Vicci Mauldin
The Mayonaise Jar & 2 Cups of Coffee
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a
day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee...
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He
shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf
balls He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured
the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the
sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize
that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--
GOD, your marriage , your family , your health ,
your friends and your favorite passions ---and if everything else was lost and
only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your
car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar
first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The
same goes for life. If you spend all your
time and energy 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. Talk to your
spouse, Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play
another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your
priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. " It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, "
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Author: Unknown
Submitted by: Evelyn Roodschild
A Message
by Paul Harvey
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 meatloaf sandwiches. I really
would. My cherished grandson, I hope you learn humility by being
humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope
you learn to make your bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you
are sixteen. I hope you have a job by then.
It will be good if at least one time you can see
a baby calf 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
Disney 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 your driver doesn't have 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 those newfangled computers, I hope you also learn to add and
subtract in your head. I hope you get razzed by your friends when you
have your first crush on a girl, 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 the
stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I hope you get sick
when someone blows cigar smoke in your face. I don't care if you try
beer once, but I hope you don't like it. 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 the joy
of holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a
baseball through a neighbor's window and that she hugs you and
kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster of Paris mold
of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and
disappointment, hard
work and happiness. Are we friends or are we not? You told me once
but I forgot. So tell me now and tell me true. So I can
say....... "I'm
here for you." Of all the friends I've ever met, you're the one I
won't
forget. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.
Author: Paul Harvey
Submitted by: Janice Taylor
The Most Beautiful Flower
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read
Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.
Disillusioned by life with good reason to
frown,
For the world was
intent on dragging me down.
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day,
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.
He stood right before me with his head tilted
down
And said with great
excitement, "Look what I found!"
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,
With its petals all worn - not enough rain, or too little light.
Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off
to play,
I faked a small smile
and then shifted away.
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side
And placed the flower to his nose
And declared with overacted surprise,
"It sure smells
pretty and it's beautiful, too.
That's why I picked it; here, it's for you."
The weed before me was dying or dead.
Not vibrant of colors: orange, yellow or red.
But I knew I must take it, or he might never
leave.
So I reached for the
flower, and replied, "Just what I need."
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand,
He held it mid-air without reason or plan.
It was then that I noticed for the very first
time
That weed-toting boy
could not see: he was blind.
I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun
As I thanked him for picking the very best one.
You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran
off to play,
Unaware of the impact
he'd had on my day.
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see
A self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree.
How did he know of my self-indulged plight?
Perhaps from his heart,
he'd been blessed with true sight.
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see
The problem was not with the world; the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind,
I vowed to see the beauty in life,
And appreciate every second that's mine.
And then I held that
wilted flower up to my nose
And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose
And smiled as I watched that young boy,
Another weed in his hand,
About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.
Author unknown
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.
I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I
read the last one:
What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.
Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward
our quiz
grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you
will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and
care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'.
"I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
The Old Fisherman
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the
upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock
at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why,
he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared
at the stooped, shrivelled body. But the appalling thing was his
face lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see
if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning
from the eastern shore, and there's no bus till morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success,
no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it
looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments . . ."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could
sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went
inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old
man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he
held up a
brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with
him a few minutes. It didn't take long time to see that this old man had
an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for
a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who
was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way
of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to
God for a blessing.
He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was
apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the
strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's
room for him.
When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and
the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just
before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he
said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a
treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair."
He paused
a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at
home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind."
I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he
arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big
fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had
shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and
fresh I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to
get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery;
fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every
leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail
these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly
precious.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of
a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night?
I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did
lose
roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps
their illnesses would have been easier to bear .
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from
him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the
good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she showed me
her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden
chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was
growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this
were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend
changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained,
"and knowing how
beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in
this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in
the
garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining
just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one,"
God
might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago-and now, in God's garden, how tall this
lovely soul must stand.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
Once Upon A Time
Once upon a time,
there were four people;
their names were
Everybody,
Somebody,
Nobody,
and Anybody.
Whenever there was an important job to be done,
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it,
but Nobody did it.
When Nobody did it,
Everybody got angry,
because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Somebody would do it,
but Nobody realized that Nobody would do it.
So consequently,
Everybody blamed Somebody,
when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done in the
first place.
author unknown
Submitted By: Andrew Ong
Only
Crosses Made A Crown
When I have a lot of worries,
and my soul is weighted down,
I can almost hear him saying
Only crosses made a crown.
And when my eyes are brimming,
from the tears that I have shed,
Comes a gentle voice "Remember,
What I suffered in your stead."
When I look around for comfort,
and there is no listening ear,
Comes a whisper close beside me,
"Hush, my child, for I am here."
And somehow that heavy burden
that I almost couldn't bear
Lifts off my aching shoulders and
Becomes as light as air.
And my heart is filled with gladness,
and a peace within me calls,
He knows all things down to time,
The smallest sparrow falls.
A new hope stirs within me,
Like the beat of feathered wings,
And in his outstretched arms I find
A love to which I cling.
And now I'm no longer troubled
by the turning of the day,
Because long ago he told me
I'll be with you all the way.
And we find a bit of heaven,
Beyond the reach of man,
Just like the tiny sparrow,
That he shelters in his hand.
Author: Lilly Ragland
Submitted by: Janice Taylor
One day a group of scientists got together
and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they
picked one scientist to go and tell God that they were done with Him.The scientist walked up to God and
said, "God, we've decided
that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people
and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."
God listened very patiently and kindly
to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very
well, how about this, let's say we have a 'man-making' contest." To
which the scientist replied, "OK,
great!"
God added, "Now,
we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The scientist said, "Sure,
no problem" and bent down
and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
God just looked at him and said, "No,
no, no. You go get your own dirt!"
Author unknown
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
I knelt to pray, but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My would could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time."
Author unknown
Submitted by Sue McGuire
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said "With all your money you gave me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.
He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the same still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back cover of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words PAID IN FULL. .........................................................
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not
packaged as we would like?
Author unknown
Submitted By: Anne
Paradox Of Our Age
We have taller buildings,
but shorter tempers;
wider freeways,
but narrower
viewpoints;
we spend more,
but have less;
we buy more,
but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses
and smaller families;
more conveniences,
but less time;
we have more degrees,
but less sense;
more knowledge,
but less judgment;
more experts,
but more problems;
more medicine,
but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly,
laugh too little,
drive too fast,
get too angry too
quickly,
stay up too late,
get up too tired,
read too seldom,
watch TV too much,
and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions,
but reduced our values.
We talk too much,
love too seldom,
and lie too often.
We've learned how to make a living,
but not a life;
we've added years to life,
not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space,
but not inner space;
we've done larger things,
but not better things;
we've cleaned up the air,
but polluted the soul;
we've split the atom,
but not our prejudice;
we write more,
but learn less;
plan more,
but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush,
but not to wait;
we have higher incomes;
but lower morals;
more food,
but less appeasement;
more acquaintances,
but fewer friends;
more effort,
but less success.
We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies than ever,
but have less communication;
we've become long on
quantity,
but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods,
and slow digestion;
tall men,
and short character;
steep profits,
and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace,
but domestic warfare;
more leisure, and less fun;
more kinds of food,
but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes,
but more divorce;
of fancier houses,
but broken homes.
Author unknown
Submitted By: Shawn Risener
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 still
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.
Do not be afraid
to encounter risks.
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.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was
standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain
storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to
help her--generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her
to safety,
helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to
be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his
surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was
attached. It read:
Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
"A
Poem of God's Grace "
I did not know His love before,
the way I know it now.
I could not see my need for Him,
my pride would not allow.
I had it all without a care,
the "self sufficient" lie.
My path was smooth, my sea was still,
not a cloud was in my sky.
I though I knew His love for me,
I thought I'd seen His grace,
I thought I did not need to grow,
I thought I'd found my place.
But then the way grew rough and dark,
the storm clouds quickly rolled;
The waves began to rock my ship,
I found I had no hold.
The ship that I had built myself
was made of foolish pride
It fell apart and left me bare,
with nowhere else to hide
I had no strength or faith to face
the trials that lay ahead,
And so I simply spoke His name
and bowed my weary head.
His loving arms enveloped me
and then He helped me stand.
He said, "You still must face this storm,
but I will hold your hand."
So through the dark and lonely night
He guided me through pain.
I could not see the light of day
or when I'd smile again.
Yet through the pain and endless tears
my faith began to grow
I could not see it at the time,
but my light began to glow.
I saw God's love in brand new light,
His grace and mercy, too.
For only when all self was gone could
Jesus' love shine through.
It was not easy in the storm,
I sometimes wondered why.
At times I thought, "I can't go on."
I'd hurt and doubt and cry.
But Jesus never left my side
He guided me each day. Through pain and strife,
through fire and flood He helped me all the way.
And now I see as ne'er before
how great his love can be
How in my weakness, He is strong,
how Jesus cares for me!
He worked it all out for my good,
although the way was rough.
He only sent what I could bear
and then He said, "Enough!"
He raised His hand and said, "Be still!"
He made the storm clouds cease
He opened up the gates of joy
and flooded me with peace.
I saw his face now clearer still,
I felt his presence strong.
I found anew His faithfulness,
He never did me wrong.
And now I know more storms will come,
but only for my good,
For pain and tears have helped me grow
as nothing ever could.
I still have so much more to learn
as Jesus works in me;
If in the storm I'll love Him more,
that's where I want to be!
--Wendy Greiner--
Submitted by: Janice
Taylor
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, when
two of them fell
into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the
pit. When they saw
how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as
dead.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit
with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to
stop, that
they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what
the
other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again,
the
crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped
even
harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not
hear us?" The frog
explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were
encouraging
him the entire time.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Sue McGuire
Many of us lose confidence in prayer because we do not recognize the answer.
We ask for strength, and God gives us difficulties which make us strong.
We pray for wisdom and God sends us problems, the solution of which develops wisdom.
We plead for prosperity and God gives us brains and brawn to work with.
We plead for courage and God gives us dangers to overcome.
We ask for favors and God gives us opportunities.
Prayer From the Kansas Senate
Legislature
November 30, 1998
This prayer was actually spoken before the Kansas State Legislature. When minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but what they heard instead was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and righteousness.
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In six short weeks, the Central Christian Church had logged more than 5000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of the prayer in India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired the prayer on THE REST OF THE STORY, and received a larger response to the program than any other he has ever aired!
The Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe on those who call evil good", but that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of
Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-culturism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn children and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building
self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it
freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called
it
enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set
us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to
direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son,
the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Submitted by Sue McGuire
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years
ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply
committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend
the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
His students were
always afraid to argue with him because of
his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no
one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in
class at times, but no one had ever had really gone against him (you'll
see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a
reputation.
At the end of every
semester on the last day, he would say to
his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in
Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew
what he was going to do next. He would say, "because anyone who
believes
in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from
hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is
God, and yet He can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk
onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred
pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare.
Most of the
students were convinced that God couldn't exist.
Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years,
they had been too afraid to stand up. Well, a few years ago, there was a
freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian,
and had heard the stories about his professor. He had to take the class
because it was one of the required classes for his major and he was
afraid. But for 3 months that semester, he prayed every morning that he
would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or
what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith,
he hoped. Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone
here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of
300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the
classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!! If God existed he could
keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!"
He
proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out
of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down
his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away,
unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He
looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The
young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and
shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and
listened as he told of God's love for them and of his power through
Jesus.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy
entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water
in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?"
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins
in it.
"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.
Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit
impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.
The little boy again counted the coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked
away.
The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.
When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed
hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two
nickels and five pennies - her tip.
Submitted by: Jody Hamrick
A Riddle for All Time
When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten students got the answer, compared with only 17% of Stanford University seniors! See if you can get it....
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 ? ? ?
Click here for the answer to the riddle
Author unknown
Submitted by Sue McGuire
Philippians 4:12
I have learned the secret of being content in any situation, whether well fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me
the strength.
I just wanted to share this secret since it was shared with me. I
have learned the secret of being content. A woman named Frances once knew a young
person at church named Debbie. Debbie always seemed effervescent and happy, although
Frances knew she had faced enormous struggles in her life.
Debbie had struggled to get a grip on her life. She hadn't chosen it, but she
decided she would live with it with utmost enjoyment and satisfaction. Debbie was
active in her congregation. Frances enjoyed knowing Debbie. Debbie's whole
face seemed to smile and she always greeted Frances with a hug. One day she asked
Debbie, "How is it that you are always so happy--you have so much energy, and you
never seem to get down?" With her eyes smiling, Debbie said, "I know the
secret!" Frances asked, "What secret is that? What are you talking
about?" Debbie replied, "I'll tell you all about it, but you have to
promise to share the 'secret' with others."
Frances agreed, "Okay, now what is it?" "The secret is this: I
have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy. I
must depend on God to make me happy and meet my needs. When a need arises in my
life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches. I have learned most of
the time I don't need half of what I think I do. HE has never let me down.
Since I learned that secret--I am happy."
Frances' first thought was "that's too simple!", but upon reflecting over her
own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job would make her happy, but it hadn't. When did
she realize her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her husband, eating
pizza and watching a movie--a simple gift from God. Debbie knew the secret, Frances
learned the secret, and now you know it too!
Happiness is not getting what we want, but wanting what we have.
Author: Mary Dundore
Submitted by: P.A. Willmon
[ An eyewitness account from New York City, on a cold day in December ]
A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the
roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady
approached the boy and said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in
that window?" "I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the
boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a
dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of
water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow
to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little
feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the
socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.
She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more
comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the
hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with
these words: "Are you God's wife?"
Author unknown
Submitted by: P.A. Willmon
SIGNS
In Front of Various Churches
No God, No Peace
Know God, Know Peace
Fight truth decay. Study the Bible daily.
How will you spend eternity: Smoking or
Non-Smoking?
Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours
are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world!
It is unlikely that there'll be a reduction in the wages of
sin.
Free Trip to Heaven. Details Inside!
Try our Sundays. They are better than Bakin-Robbins!
People are like tea bags. You have to put them in
hot water before you know how strong they are!
Sign Broken. Message inside this Sunday.
Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church.
If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows
U-turns.
Forbidden fruit creates many jams.
If you can't sleep, don't count sheep, talk to the
Shepherd.
In the dark? Follow the Son.
CH _ _ CH. What is missing? ( U R )
Submitted by Alice Doster
|
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could go, and could go no further.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly, because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with the swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been, and we could never fly.
Author unknown
Submitted by Vicci Mauldin
- Some people are very bossy and like to tell everyone what to do but,
of course, they do not wish to soil their hands.
You might call that type "Dick Taters."
- Some people never seem to be motivated to participate.
They are content to watch while others do.
They are "Speck Taters."
- Some people never do anything to help,
but they are gifted at finding fault with the way others do things.
They might be called "Comment Taters."
- Some people are always looking for ways to cause problems.
They look for others to agree with them.
You call them "Ad-geee Taters."
- Then there are those who always say they will,
but somehow never get around to doing anything.
They are "Hezzie Taters."
- Some people put on a front and act
like they are someone they are not.
They are "Emma Taters."
- Still, there are those who live what they talk.
They are always prepared to stop what they are doing to lend a hand.
They bring real sunshine into others' lives.
You might call them "Sweet Taters."
Author Unknown
Submitted By: Sue McGuire
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord,
So far today, God,
I've done all right.
I haven't gossiped,
haven't lost my temper,
haven't been greedy,
grumpy, nasty, selfish
or over-indulgent.
I'm very thankful for that.
But in a few minutes, God,
I'm going to get out of bed...
And from then on,
I'm going to need a lot more help!
Amen
Author Unknown
Submitted By: Hans Roodschild
Lord, thank you for this sink
of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.
Thank you for this pile
of dirty, stained and stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm
and so comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.
Many
thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered
mirrors, wet towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.
Thank
you for this finger smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it
has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and
enough leftovers for two or three meals.
Thank you Lord, for this oven
that absolutely must be cleaned today; it has baked so many things over the
years.
The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs
mowing, the leaves that needs to be raked; we all enjoy the yard.
Thank
you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy
and able to run and play.
Lord, the presence of all these chores
awaiting me says you have richly blessed my family.
I shall do them all
cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.
Author Unknown
Dear Lord:
Even though I clutch my blanket
and growl when the alarm rings, thank you,
Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as
possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you Lord, that I
have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast
is burned and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for My family.
There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines
and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job often is hard, thank you, Lord, for the
opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Sue McGuire
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of
what they wanted to become when they grew up.
The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold
treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll
be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"
The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the
ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings.
I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in
a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to
grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and
think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!"
Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall.
One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the
first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me."
With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I will be made
into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!", the first tree said.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong.
It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree
fell. "Now I will sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree.
"I will be a strong ship for mighty kings!"
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She
stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter looked up.
"Any kind of tree will do for me", he muttered. With a swoop of his
shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But
the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful
tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and
filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing
ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a
simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even
river; instead she was taken to a little lake.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in
a lumberyard. "What happened?", the once tall tree wondered.
"All I ever wanted to do was to stay on the mountain and point to God..."
Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly
forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a
young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a
cradle for him", her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled
as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is
beautiful", she said. Suddenly, the first tree knew she was holding the
greatest treasure in the world.
One evening, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The
traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a
thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she
did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the
rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said,
"Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. Suddenly, the
second tree knew she was carrying the king of heaven and of earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam was yanked from the
forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry, jeering crowd.
She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and
harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled
with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It
had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree,
they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
Author unknown
Submitted by: P.A. Willmon
I am a mother of three and recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with qualities I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile". The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went to McDonald's one morning. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman close to me, he was smiling. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands and stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what he wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm.) Then I really felt it--the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I lean over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we, as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and be healed.
In my own way, I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: Unconditional Acceptance. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to love people and use things, not love things and use people.
Submitted by Sue McGuire
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me".
"Sure", they replied, "we'd love to meet him".
"There's something you should know", said the son, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us".
"I'm sorry to hear that , son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us".
"Son", said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own".
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.
A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror, they also discovered something they didn't know; their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love.
Author unknown
Submitted By: Jody Hamrick
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I get lost"
That is why I chose this way.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Someone to be my guide.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I am weak
and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible
but God believes I'm worth it.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
which is why I seek HIS name.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.
Author unknown
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive
young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps.
She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the
seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was
empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and
rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to
a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was
suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and
self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt
condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden
on everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?"
she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she
cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going
to return A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit.
Just getting through each day was
an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was
her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his
heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and
was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to
become independent again. Mark's military background had trained him
well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most
difficult battle he would ever face. Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her
job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now
too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to
drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of
the city.
At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his
sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.
Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement
wasn't working---it was hectic, and costly. Susan is going to have to
start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the
thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile,
so angry. How would she react? Just as Mark predicted, Susan was
horrified at the idea of
taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded
bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like
you're abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be
done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the
bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And
that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform
and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to
rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she
was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the
bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her
laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or
drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the journey together, and
Mark would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even
more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter
of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed
in her, in the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't
afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own.
Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her
temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend.
Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience,
his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their
separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on
her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it!
She was going to work all by herself!
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying
for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you."
Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who
on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to
find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver,
"Why do you say that you envy me?" The driver responded, "It must
feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are."
Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What
do you mean?"
The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine
looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner
watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street
safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows
you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky
lady."
Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she
couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was
lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift
she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring
light where there had been darkness.
God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is
present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless!
Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You - even when you are not
looking."
Author unknown
Submitted by: Vicci Mauldin
Who
You Are Makes A Difference!
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of
her seniors in high
school by telling them the difference they each made. Using a process
developed by Helice Bridges of Del Mar, California, she called each student to
the front of the class, one at a time. First, she told them how the student
made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a
blue ribbon imprinted with white letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a
Difference." Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see
what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each
of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread
this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see
who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a
junior executive in a nearby company and
honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue
ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons, and said,
"we're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out,
find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue
ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment
ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what
happened."
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference' on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. "My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom's being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you! "
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and
he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and
said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide, Dad,
because I didn't think you loved me. Now I
don't need to."
Author unknown
Submitted by: Rebecca Bass
You Can Run,
But You Can't Hide
You can run, but you can't hide,
God sees every move you make,
You try to act like you do not care,
But God knows you are a fake.
You tell yourself it's not worth,
The personal sacrifice,
The pain you feel for others,
Is not worth the lofty price.
But Jesus did not feel that way,
When our debt of sin came due,
He gave His life's blood freely,
To save both me and you.
It really doesn't matter,
Where you left the cross He bare,
If you search your heart just one more time,
You will find that He's still there.
You might of thought you lost Him,
In the clutter of your life,
In your trials and tribulations,
And in your pain and strife.
But if you look behind you,
You will see that He's still there,
That He never gave up on you,
And that, He really cares!
You may have tried to hide from Him,
Because of a sinful past,
But Jesus forgives us for our sins,
And provides a peace that will last.
You may can run, and even try to hide,
But no matter what you do,
He will surely find you, if you hide,
And if you run, He's sure to catch you.
So just obey His word, accept His will,
Let Jesus be your guide,
It doesn't matter how fast you are,
You can run, but you can't hide.
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, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of
coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. 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 in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk
show. 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. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance
recital."
He continued, "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 seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live
less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five 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. Now
stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."
"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
seventy-five, 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 having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them
home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in my
workshop 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 God has blessed me
with a little extra time to be with my loved ones......
"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," I said. " It has 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."
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL AND MAY YOU HAVE MANY
HAPPY YEARS AFTER YOU LOSE ALL YOUR MARBLES!
|
Recently a Ft. Lauderdale advertising agency launched a billboard campaign (including the inside and outside of buses) that included these messages from God.
This non-denominational campaign which started in September and ends soon was sponsored by an anonymous client. How cool to drive by one of these billboards?!
1. Have You Read My #1 Best Seller? There Will Be A Test! - God
2. What Part of "Thou Shalt Not..." Didn't You Understand? - God
3. We Need To Talk - God
4. That "Love Thy Neighbor" Thing, I Meant It - God
5. I Love You... I Love You... I Love You... - God
6. Will the Road You're On Get You to My Place? - God
7. Follow Me - God
8. Big Bang Theory, You've Got To Be Kidding - God
9. Need a Marriage Counselor? I'm Available - God
10. Need Directions? - God
11. Tell the Kids I Love Them - God
ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE: NOTHING!
(Nothing is greater than God,
Nothing is more evil than the devil,
The poor have nothing,
The rich need nothing,
If you eat nothing, you'll die! )
