Quips & Quotes

A Page Where Christians can Share Humorous, Inspiring or Thought-Provoking Stories & Poems with a Spiritual Message!

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21 Rules   7-29-04 Lunch With God   06-01-99
A Chart  8-13-04  The Mayonaise Jar & 2 Cups of Coffee  6-20-06
A Friend   5-1-2003 A Message by Paul Harvey  08-23-99
A Thousand Sayings  5-26-08 Most Beautiful Flower    09-26-98
A to Z  Friendship    10-24-98 A Most Important Question  09-10-99
Ad Sign from God  06-14-06 The Old Fisherman  08-23-99
Amazing  5-16-08 Once Upon A Time     09-15-98
And God Said "No"     10-09-98 Only Crosses Made a Crown  05-31-99
Anger     02-16-99 Noah's Ark  07-30-07
ASAP 03-26-01 No Longer Needed  10-18-99
Attitude In Life  09-13-09  
Beauty of Math  01-10-08 No Time   06-01-99
Been Stopped By a Brick Lately?  06-01-99 Paid in Full   05-03-99
Breakfast at McDonald's  01-01-07 Paradox Of Our Age    09-25-98
The Berry Spoon  09-10-99 Peace  08-23-99
The Bible According to Kids!   11/11/99 Pickup In The Rain  09-10-99
Defense of Faith    05-09-99 A Poem of God's Grace  09-10-99
Discouraged?    05-03-99 The Power of Words  08-23-99
Do It Anyway!  11-23-99 Prayer   05-03-99
Does God Show Through?  10-27-99 Prayer From the Kansas Senate  05-31-99
Down and Out...?  07-04-08 Prayer ~ Paul Harvey  06-03-06
The Drawing  09-10-99 The Professor and God  08-23-99
Drinking From My Saucer  10-19-99 Red Marbles  02-26-08
Email from God 05-13-99 Remember Those Who Serve  09-10-99
Emergency Phone Numbers  08-23-99 The Resume  02-12-07
Everyday Survival Kit  08-23-99 A Riddle for All Time  05-02-99
Flaws  05-31-99 The Secret   05-13-99
Follow Me   06-01-99 Safe  05-25-05
Food For Thought  09-10-99 Shoes    05-07-99
Forever Friend   02-16-99 Signs  05-31-99
Funny, Isn't It?  08-23-99 Smile   12-01-98
Giving Blood  09-10-99 Sounds of the Cross  01-1-2003
God is Positive  05-13-99 Struggles   06-01-99
God Knows  09-17-99 Success   05-07-99
God's Pictures  10-19-99 Taters    01-23-99
Good Thoughts For The Day    09-23-98 Thank You, Lord  08-23-99
The Guest  08-23-99 Thank You, Lord II  10-27-99
Hands  08-23-99 These 12 - Minus  01-1-03
HeartPrints   05-13-99 Three Trees 05-13-99
Heaven's Entrance Exam  09-10-99 Today's Prayer    10-01-98
Help Me, Lord  01-1-03 Unconditional Acceptance  06-01-99
Help Us, Lord  01-1-03 Unconditional Love 05-03-99
How Big Is God?  07-27-06 What A Great Idea !     02-11-99
How Good Do We Have It  09-10-99 What If ???   01-23-99
How To Explain God  08-23-99 When You Are Not Looking  10-19-99
I Have Learned  08-23-99 Who You Are Makes a Difference  08-23-99
If I Were  The Devil  08-23-99 The Woman And A Fork  11-21-08
If Tomorrow Never Comes  09-10-99 You Can Run, But You Can't Hide  08-23-99
The Innocent  05-03-99 You're Not Old, Unless...   12-02-98
Is Anyone Else Up There?    05-07-99 1000 Marbles 03-28-01
Is Your Hut Burning?  09-17-99  
Kids Say The Sweetest Things    01-17-99  
Kids Say The Sweetest Things II   05-07-99  
Kindness is Never Forgotten  08-26-99  
Life's Teaching    11-07-98  
Listen 05-03-99  
List of Emergency Phone Numbers   10-24-98  
Love, Wealth & Success  08-23-99  

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A to Z  Friendship
 
A Friend.
Accepts you as you are
   Believes in "you"
         Calls you just to say "HI"
Doesn't give up on you
    Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
        Forgives your mistakes
Gives unconditionally
    Helps you
        Invites you over
Just "be" with you
    Keeps you close at heart
        Loves you for who you are
Makes a difference in your life
    Never Judges
        Offers support
Picks you up
    Quiets your fears
        Raises your spirits
Says nice things about you
    Tells you the truth when you need to hear it
        Understands you
Values you
    Walks beside you
        X-plains things you don't understand
Yells when you won't listen and
    Zaps you back to reality

 


And God Said "No"
 

I asked God to take away my pride,
        and God said, "No."
                He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
        and God said, "No."
                He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience,
        and God said, "No."
                He said that patience is a by product of tribulation.
                        It isn’t granted, it’s earned.
I asked God to give me happiness,
        and God said, "No."
                He said he gives blessings.
                        Happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain,
        and God said, "No."
                He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me."
I asked God to make my spirit grow,
        and God said, "No."
                He said I must grow on my own,
                        but He will prune me to make me fruitful.
I asked God to help me love others
        as much as He loves me,
                and God said,
                        "Ah, finally, you have the right idea."
 
By:  Claudia Minden Weisz
Submitted By:  Evelyn Roodschild

 


Anger

A Lesson on the Subject of Anger

There was a little boy with a bad temper.   His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.  The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.  Then it gradually dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.  Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.  He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now  pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.  The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.   The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
 
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.  The fence will never be the same.  When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.   You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.  It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.  Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed.  They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.  They lend an ear, they share a work of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.   Show your friends how much you care."

Author Unknown
Submitted By:  Sue McGuire

 

 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

The Berry Spoon



"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

 
The following statements about the Bible were written by children and have not be retouched or corrected (i.e., bad spelling has been left in):


In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.

Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears. 

Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.

Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea where they made unleavened bread, which is bread without any ingredients.

The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.

Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. 

The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada. 

Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar.

David fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.


St. John, the blacksmith, dumped water on his head.

Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.
He also explained, "a man doth not live by sweat alone."

It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

The epistles were the wives of the apostles. 
 
One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

St. Paul cavorted to Christianity.  He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.

A Christian should have only one spouse.  This is called monotony.

Submitted by:  Sandi Wallace

 

Defense of Faith

 

"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

 

Discouraged?

             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.

 

 


DOES GOD SHOW THROUGH?



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 




The Drawing



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

 


Email From God

    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

An Everyday Survival Kit

 

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

 

FLAWS

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.

 

 

Follow Me

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

Food for Thought


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."

 


Forever Friend

Sometimes in life,
you find a special friend;
Someone who changes your life
just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh
until you can't stop;
Someone who makes you believe
that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you
that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.
This is Forever Friendship.
When you're down,
and the world seems dark and empty,
Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit
and makes that dark and empty world
suddenly seem bright and full.
Your forever friend gets you through
the hard times, the sad times,
and the confused times.
If you turn and walk away,
your forever friend follows.
If you lose your way,
your forever friend guides you
and cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand
and tells you that
everything is going to be okay.
And if you find such a friend,
you feel happy and complete,
because you need not worry.
You have a forever friend for life,
and forever has no end.

Author Unknown
Submitted By: Evelyn Roodschild

 

Funny, Isn't It?

 

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


Giving Blood

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


God
is Positive

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

 

God Knows 

 

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


God's Pictures

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

The Guest



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."

 

H A N D S

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


HEARTPRINTS

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

Heaven's Entrance Exam

 

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 Do We Have It

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 Have Learned...


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

 


If I were the devil


By Paul Harvey
© 1999 Paul Harvey News


I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;

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


IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?

        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

 

Is Your Hut Burning?


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

 

 

Life's Teaching.

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher.  Her name
was Mrs. Thompson.  And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class
on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie.  Like most
teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all
the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row,
slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.  Mrs.
Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he
didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy
and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant.
It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight
in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then
putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to
review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until
last.  However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a
ready laugh.  He does his work neatly and has good manners.  He is
a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well
liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother
has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard
on him.

He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and
his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and
doesn't show much interest in school.  He doesn't have many friends
and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was
ashamed of herself.

She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents,
wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's.
His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he
got from a grocery bag.  Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the
middle of the other presents.  Some of the children started to laugh
when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing,
and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.  But she stifled the
children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was,
putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.  Teddy
Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs.
Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."

After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic.
Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid
particular attention to Teddy.  As she worked with him, his mind
seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he
responded.  By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the
smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love
all the children the same, Teddy became one her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her
that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy.  He
then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and
she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things
had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it,
and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors.
He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite
teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came.  This time
he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go
a little further.  The letter explained that she was still the best and
favorite teacher he ever had.  But now his name was a little longer -
the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.

The story doesn't end there.  You see, there was yet another letter
that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married.
He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the
wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.  And guess what?  She wore that
bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing.  And she made
sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his
mother wearing on their last Christmas together.  They hugged each
other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank
you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me.  Thank you so much for
making me feel important and showing me that I could make a
difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back.  She said,
"Teddy, you have it all wrong.  You were the one who taught me
that I could make a difference.  I didn't know how to teach until I
met you."


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!

Love, Wealth & Success

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

Lunch With God


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

Most Important Question



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


No Longer Needed...

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

 

No Time

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

 

Paid In Full

            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

Peace



           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

Pickup in the Rain

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


The Power of Words

 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

 

Prayer

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

 

 

 

The Professor and God

 

        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

 

 Remember those who serve

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


The SECRET

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

 

 

Shoes

[ 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

 

 

    


SMILE
smile.gif (243 bytes)

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu.
 
When someone smiled at 
me today, I started smiling too. smile.gif (243 bytes)

I passed around 
  the corner, and someone saw my grinsmile.gif (243 bytes)
When he smiled, I realized, 
I'd passed it on to him .

I thought about that smile, 
then I realized its worth.

A single smile, just like mine, 
could travel round the earth. smile.gif (243 bytes)

So, if you feel a smile begin, 
don't leave it undetected.

Let's start an epidemic 
quick and get the world infected ! 

smile.gif (243 bytes)

Author unknown
Submitted By:   Dr. P. A. & Carol Willmon



    

Struggles

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

 

 


To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.


Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
 
 
Submitted by P.A. Willmon


Taters      ~~~ Some People are Like Potatoes...
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


 

Thank You, Lord

 

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

    THREE TREES

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

 

 

Unconditional Acceptance

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

 


Unconditional Love

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

What  If  ? ? ?
 
What if,
GOD couldn't take the time to bless us today because
we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?

What if,
GOD decided to stop leading us tomorrow because
we didn't follow Him today?

What if,
we never saw another flower bloom because
we grumbled when GOD sent the rain?

What if,
GOD didn't walk with us today because
we failed to recognize it as His day?

What if,
GOD took away the Bible tomorrow because
we would not read it today?

What if,
GOD took away His message because
we failed to listen to the messenger?

What if,
GOD didn't send His only begotten Son because
He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin.

What if,
the door of the church was closed because
we did not open the door of our heart?

What if,
GOD stopped loving and caring for us because
we failed to love and care for others?

What if,
GOD would not hear us today because
we would not listen to Him yesterday?

What if,
GOD answered our prayers the way
we answer His call to service?

What if,
GOD met our needs the way
we give Him our lives???

What if,
We failed to send this message on???

Author Unknown
Submitted By:   Sue McGuire

When I Say I Am A Christian

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

 

When You Are Not Looking...

 

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.

1000 Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, 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!

    
You're not old UNLESS you can remember:
Being sent to the drugstore to test vacuum tubes for the TV.
   When Kool-Aid was the only other drink for kids, other than milk and sodas.
      When there were two types of sneakers for boys.
         When boys couldn't wear anything but leather shoes to school.
When it took five minutes for the TV to warm up.
   When all your friends got their hair cut at the kitchen table.
      When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
         When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.
When a dime was a decent allowance, and a quarter a huge bonus.
   When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
      When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.
         When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
When all your teachers wore either neckties or had their hair done, everyday.
   When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped,
      without asking, for free, every time. And you got trading stamps to boot!
         When laundry detergent had free glasses,
            dishes or towels hidden inside the box.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him,
   or use him to carry groceries,
      and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner
   at a real restaurant with your parents.
      When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed-and did!
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing
   compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
      When women were called, "Mrs. John Smith," instead of their own name.

Author unknown

Submitted By:   Joe Connor

What a Great Idea!

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

 

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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! )

 

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