Take my Son
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..
He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later.. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence..
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts.. Get on with the Real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
'We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!'
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE....THAT' S LOVE
Do whatever you like, but remember that maybe 'one' of the people you might have taken the time to send this to, may be just the person who needs to hear this message. You have a choice to make.'
God Bless.
If I don't get this back, I will know you really didn't read it. I got this from someone and thought the last part was really a good thought..
Too bad that the person who sent it to me did not know 10 people who would admit to knowing the Lord.
Thanks and Regards
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Military Pay
Military Pay
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in theWashington Times (She is a Assistant Director for the NationalSecurity in the Congressional Budget Office...... ) about MILITARYPAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America.Ms. Cindy Williams wrote a piece for the Washington Times, denouncingthe pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that shestated 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He oughtto get a bonus for this."Ms Williams: I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIsearn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering wherethis vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, itdisappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance andAccounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earningsstatement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. Aftertaxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, Icome up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and$10,490.40, after.I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of theteam responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved withinfrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment.A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington,D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsexperience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 ayear. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 perannum....... .... I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had thepleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you takeit upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DODleadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowestpay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join agroup of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choiceof service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make, though, optfor the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possibletime away from your family and friends, thus giving you full"deployment experience."As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note thespouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Alsotake care to note that several families are still unsure of howthey'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner isgone - obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash thegovernment has been giving them.Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving areperennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting ina foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night; and the flightsergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieveyou for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready- to-eat)you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini,and add Tabasco to everything.. This gives some flavor.Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won'tnearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get andbe thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that Idisagree with most of the points you present in your opened piece.But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your FirstAmendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis,my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and peoplelike you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that isnothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make mostpeople cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the privatesector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civiliancompanies.And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than wedeserve? You can ...
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in theWashington Times (She is a Assistant Director for the NationalSecurity in the Congressional Budget Office...... ) about MILITARYPAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America.Ms. Cindy Williams wrote a piece for the Washington Times, denouncingthe pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that shestated 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He oughtto get a bonus for this."Ms Williams: I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIsearn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering wherethis vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, itdisappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance andAccounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earningsstatement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. Aftertaxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, Icome up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and$10,490.40, after.I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of theteam responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved withinfrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment.A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington,D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsexperience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 ayear. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 perannum....... .... I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had thepleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you takeit upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DODleadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowestpay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join agroup of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choiceof service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make, though, optfor the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possibletime away from your family and friends, thus giving you full"deployment experience."As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note thespouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Alsotake care to note that several families are still unsure of howthey'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner isgone - obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash thegovernment has been giving them.Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving areperennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting ina foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night; and the flightsergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieveyou for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready- to-eat)you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini,and add Tabasco to everything.. This gives some flavor.Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won'tnearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get andbe thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that Idisagree with most of the points you present in your opened piece.But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your FirstAmendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis,my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and peoplelike you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that isnothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make mostpeople cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the privatesector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civiliancompanies.And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than wedeserve? You can ...
Music performances in Bangalore Dec 09
Dear Friends,It s that time of the year and there’s a nip in the air! Friends have begun baking their Christmas goodies, making ‘gift’ lists and planning their Festive events: And we at the Music School are doing what we do best – planning festive Concerts just for you – And here they are!
LIEDERABEND(An Evening of Songs)Dec 8 : 7 PM at Alliance Francaise (AF)
German Singer Dr. Dominik Schwudke, baritone of repute and scientist with NCBS(National Centre for Biological Sciences), where he studies music within cells, and well known pianist and teacher Nalini Suryawanshi, will present the evening of music. Dominik, trained in Germany by eminent teachers, will sing songs of the romantic era by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert. They will also present excerpts of the song cycles Liederkreis, Dichterliebe and Winterreise. Entrance Free for Friends of Music and music lovers. Please come early to get a good seat.Collaboration with NCBS and Alliance Francaise
BONJOUR INDIA & BSM CONCERT Saturday19th December – 7 PM at Alliance Francaise
The French Festival presents the popular young pianist Sharik Hasan, who has been creating waves in India and abroad. On this tour he performs with French musicians for the Festival. Friends of Music and music lovers are welcome to attend.Entrance is free for those who love Music. Please come early to get good seats.
.
Day Solos, Duos & EnsemblesWednesday 16 - Flute, Recorder & Classical Guitar FingerworksThursday 17 - Piano & Tickling the Ivories, Violin & Piano FrolicsFriday 18 - Sounds and wind and Brass Ensembles, Dance EpisodesSaturday 19 - Choral Music, conducted by Victor AbrahamAll concerts will be from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Friends of Music Free Others: Season’s donation for all Concerts Rs250/-. Daily donation Rs100/- only
For any communication or clarification please contact us at any of the ids given below:The Bangalore School of Music – East West CentreNo: 8, HMT/HBCS Layout, CBI Road, R.T Nagar Post, Bangalore 560032.Tel Nos 23536090, 23546090, E-Mail – arunasunderlal@gmail.com, thebsm87@gmail.comWebsite – www.thebsm.org
LIEDERABEND(An Evening of Songs)Dec 8 : 7 PM at Alliance Francaise (AF)
German Singer Dr. Dominik Schwudke, baritone of repute and scientist with NCBS(National Centre for Biological Sciences), where he studies music within cells, and well known pianist and teacher Nalini Suryawanshi, will present the evening of music. Dominik, trained in Germany by eminent teachers, will sing songs of the romantic era by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert. They will also present excerpts of the song cycles Liederkreis, Dichterliebe and Winterreise. Entrance Free for Friends of Music and music lovers. Please come early to get a good seat.Collaboration with NCBS and Alliance Francaise
BONJOUR INDIA & BSM CONCERT Saturday19th December – 7 PM at Alliance Francaise
The French Festival presents the popular young pianist Sharik Hasan, who has been creating waves in India and abroad. On this tour he performs with French musicians for the Festival. Friends of Music and music lovers are welcome to attend.Entrance is free for those who love Music. Please come early to get good seats.
.
Day Solos, Duos & EnsemblesWednesday 16 - Flute, Recorder & Classical Guitar FingerworksThursday 17 - Piano & Tickling the Ivories, Violin & Piano FrolicsFriday 18 - Sounds and wind and Brass Ensembles, Dance EpisodesSaturday 19 - Choral Music, conducted by Victor AbrahamAll concerts will be from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Friends of Music Free Others: Season’s donation for all Concerts Rs250/-. Daily donation Rs100/- only
For any communication or clarification please contact us at any of the ids given below:The Bangalore School of Music – East West CentreNo: 8, HMT/HBCS Layout, CBI Road, R.T Nagar Post, Bangalore 560032.Tel Nos 23536090, 23546090, E-Mail – arunasunderlal@gmail.com, thebsm87@gmail.comWebsite – www.thebsm.org
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Four Management Lessons
* Lesson Number One *
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"
The crow answered: "Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
* Lesson Number Two *
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
"I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy. "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
* Lesson Number Three *
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go." The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up.
All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed.
All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!
Management Lesson: You don't need brains to be Boss, any asshole will do!
* Lesson Number Four *
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard he bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lessons Summary:
1. Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy. 2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. 3. When you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"
The crow answered: "Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
* Lesson Number Two *
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
"I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy. "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
* Lesson Number Three *
When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go." The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up.
All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed.
All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!
Management Lesson: You don't need brains to be Boss, any asshole will do!
* Lesson Number Four *
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard he bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lessons Summary:
1. Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy. 2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. 3. When you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
Monday, November 23, 2009
the ant and the contact lens
THE ANT AND THE CONTACT LENS
>A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona
>
>Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go
>rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she
>went with her group to a tremendous granite
>cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the
>gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up
>the face of that rock.
>
>Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a
>breather. As she was hanging on there, the
>safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and
>knocked out her contact lens.
>
>Well, here she is, on a rock ledge, with
>hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet
>above her! . Of course, she looked and looked
>and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge,
>but it just wasn't there.
>
>Here she was, far from home, her sight now
>blurry. She was desperate and began to get
>upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to
>find it.
>
>When she got to the top, a friend examined her
>eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was
>no contact lens to be found. She sat down,
>despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting
>for the rest of them to make it up the face of
>the cliff.
>
>She looked out across range after range of
>mountains, thinking of that verse that says, "The
>eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
>whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see
>all these mountains. You know every stone and
>leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens
>is. Please help me."
>
>Finally, they walked down the trail to the
>bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of
>climbers just starting up the face of the cliff.
>One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody
>lose a contact lens?"
>
>Well, that would be startling enough, but you
>know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving
>slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it
>on it's back.
>
>Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist.
>When she told him the incredible story of the
>ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew
>a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens
>with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want
>me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and
>it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You
>want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
>
>I think it would probably do some of us good to
>occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you
>want me to carry this load. I can see no good
>in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want
>me to carry it, I will."
>
>God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the
>called.
>A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona
>
>Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go
>rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she
>went with her group to a tremendous granite
>cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the
>gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up
>the face of that rock.
>
>Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a
>breather. As she was hanging on there, the
>safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and
>knocked out her contact lens.
>
>Well, here she is, on a rock ledge, with
>hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet
>above her! . Of course, she looked and looked
>and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge,
>but it just wasn't there.
>
>Here she was, far from home, her sight now
>blurry. She was desperate and began to get
>upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to
>find it.
>
>When she got to the top, a friend examined her
>eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was
>no contact lens to be found. She sat down,
>despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting
>for the rest of them to make it up the face of
>the cliff.
>
>She looked out across range after range of
>mountains, thinking of that verse that says, "The
>eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
>whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see
>all these mountains. You know every stone and
>leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens
>is. Please help me."
>
>Finally, they walked down the trail to the
>bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of
>climbers just starting up the face of the cliff.
>One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody
>lose a contact lens?"
>
>Well, that would be startling enough, but you
>know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving
>slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it
>on it's back.
>
>Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist.
>When she told him the incredible story of the
>ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew
>a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens
>with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want
>me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and
>it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You
>want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
>
>I think it would probably do some of us good to
>occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you
>want me to carry this load. I can see no good
>in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want
>me to carry it, I will."
>
>God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the
>called.
do i have enough
TOOTHLESS GRIN
I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided
to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely-dressed little girl was
excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money
clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked,
she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He
usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their
ritual of "do I have enough?"
As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started
sorting through the Pokemon toys.
He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and
wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He, too,
had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so,
at the most. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the
Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father,
his father shook his head, "no."
The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully dressed,
glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the
block.
However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little
boy and his father. Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video
games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and
his father then started walking through another aisle of the store.
The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the
Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the
other toys, and raced toward the checkout, after speaking with her father.
I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the
little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line
behind me.
After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the
cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the
package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in purse when the little
boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then
said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a
prize!" With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could
only stare in disbelief.
It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted! The little girl and her father
had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest,
prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my
life Then they walked out the door, and I followed, close behind them.
As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I
heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget
what she said to him.
"Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me
happy?"
He said, "Of course they did, honey."
To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!"
With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car. Apparently,
she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?"
I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in
that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the
reason for the season than most adults I know!
May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy, and
me, that day!
Merry Christmas All
Author Unknown
I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided
to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely-dressed little girl was
excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money
clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked,
she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He
usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their
ritual of "do I have enough?"
As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started
sorting through the Pokemon toys.
He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and
wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He, too,
had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so,
at the most. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the
Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father,
his father shook his head, "no."
The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully dressed,
glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the
block.
However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little
boy and his father. Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video
games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and
his father then started walking through another aisle of the store.
The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the
Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the
other toys, and raced toward the checkout, after speaking with her father.
I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the
little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line
behind me.
After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the
cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the
package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in purse when the little
boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then
said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a
prize!" With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could
only stare in disbelief.
It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted! The little girl and her father
had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest,
prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my
life Then they walked out the door, and I followed, close behind them.
As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I
heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget
what she said to him.
"Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me
happy?"
He said, "Of course they did, honey."
To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!"
With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car. Apparently,
she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?"
I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in
that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the
reason for the season than most adults I know!
May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy, and
me, that day!
Merry Christmas All
Author Unknown
Eternal Life
My Friend ....
My friend, I stand in judgement now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow..
While on earth I walked with you day by day
And never did you point the way
You knew the Lord in truth and glory
But never did you tell the story
My knowledge then was very dim
You could have led me safe to Him
Though we lived together here on earth
You never told me of your second birth
And now I stand this day condemned
Because you failed to mention Him
You taught me many things thats true
I called you friend and trusted you
But I learned now that its too late
You could have kept me from this fate
We walked by day and talked by night
And yet you showed me not the light
And you let me live love and die
And all the while you knew I'd never live on high
Yes, I called you a friend for life
And I trusted you in joy and strife
And yet in coming to this end
I see you really weren't my friend!!
My friend, I stand in judgement now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow..
While on earth I walked with you day by day
And never did you point the way
You knew the Lord in truth and glory
But never did you tell the story
My knowledge then was very dim
You could have led me safe to Him
Though we lived together here on earth
You never told me of your second birth
And now I stand this day condemned
Because you failed to mention Him
You taught me many things thats true
I called you friend and trusted you
But I learned now that its too late
You could have kept me from this fate
We walked by day and talked by night
And yet you showed me not the light
And you let me live love and die
And all the while you knew I'd never live on high
Yes, I called you a friend for life
And I trusted you in joy and strife
And yet in coming to this end
I see you really weren't my friend!!
How to stay young
How to Stay Young
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay
him/her.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is
the devil's workshop." The devil's name is Alzheimer's Disease.
4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is
all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all
that you can afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that
you can afford!
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your
distinctive laughter.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person
who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive while you
are alive, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and
just wait in residence for your mail.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family,
pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is
your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is
unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get
help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a
foreign country, but not to guilt country.
10. At every opportunity, tell the people you love that you love
them. (Author Unknown)
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay
him/her.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is
the devil's workshop." The devil's name is Alzheimer's Disease.
4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is
all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all
that you can afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that
you can afford!
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your
distinctive laughter.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person
who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive while you
are alive, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and
just wait in residence for your mail.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family,
pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is
your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is
unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get
help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a
foreign country, but not to guilt country.
10. At every opportunity, tell the people you love that you love
them. (Author Unknown)
Integrity
A MATTER OF CHARACTER
In his autobiography Days of Grace (Random House Audio, 1993),
tennis great Arthur Ashe relates a defining incident that
occurred when he was 17 years old. He was playing in a tournament
in West Virginia. As was often the case, he was the only
contestant of color in the tournament.
One night, some of the kids trashed a cabin. They absolutely
destroyed it and then decided to say that Arthur was responsible.
The incident was reported in the newspapers; Arthur denied his
involvement, but the boys would not change their story. The worst
part for Arthur was worrying about what his father would say and
do. He eventually made the dreaded phone call.
As he surmised, his father had already learned of the vandalism.
His father's tone was grim. He asked Arthur only one question.
"Arthur Junior," he asked, "all I want to know is...were you
mixed up in that mess?"
Arthur answered, "No, Daddy, I wasn't." His father never asked
about it again. Arthur learned that day why he had always been
encouraged to tell the truth. There would come a time when he
must be believed, and this was such a time. Because he had
already earned his trust and respect, he knew his father believed
him. From that day on he was determined, above all else, to live
a life of integrity.
Unfortunately, we find notable examples of modern leaders in
every field who give low priority to personal integrity. But we
do not need saints - we need people like you. People who will be
known for their integrity. People who will determine to be their
best selves. People who daily earn the trust and respect of
others, regardless of their age or station in life. People who
insist on the importance of character.
Our world does not need another saint. But it needs you.
In his autobiography Days of Grace (Random House Audio, 1993),
tennis great Arthur Ashe relates a defining incident that
occurred when he was 17 years old. He was playing in a tournament
in West Virginia. As was often the case, he was the only
contestant of color in the tournament.
One night, some of the kids trashed a cabin. They absolutely
destroyed it and then decided to say that Arthur was responsible.
The incident was reported in the newspapers; Arthur denied his
involvement, but the boys would not change their story. The worst
part for Arthur was worrying about what his father would say and
do. He eventually made the dreaded phone call.
As he surmised, his father had already learned of the vandalism.
His father's tone was grim. He asked Arthur only one question.
"Arthur Junior," he asked, "all I want to know is...were you
mixed up in that mess?"
Arthur answered, "No, Daddy, I wasn't." His father never asked
about it again. Arthur learned that day why he had always been
encouraged to tell the truth. There would come a time when he
must be believed, and this was such a time. Because he had
already earned his trust and respect, he knew his father believed
him. From that day on he was determined, above all else, to live
a life of integrity.
Unfortunately, we find notable examples of modern leaders in
every field who give low priority to personal integrity. But we
do not need saints - we need people like you. People who will be
known for their integrity. People who will determine to be their
best selves. People who daily earn the trust and respect of
others, regardless of their age or station in life. People who
insist on the importance of character.
Our world does not need another saint. But it needs you.
The world is mine
"The World Is Mine"
Today, upon the bus I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I were so fair,
When suddenly she rose to leave, and I saw her hobble down the aisle,
She had one leg, and wore a crutch, and as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two legs. The world is mine.
And then I stopped to buy some sweets, The lad who sold them had such charm,
I talk to him: he seemed so glad... if I were late 'twould do no harm,
And as I left he said to me :"Thank you. You have been so kind.
It's nice to talk to folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind".
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two eyes. The world is mine.
Later, walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two ears. The world is mine.
With legs to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset glow,
Two ears to hear what I would know...
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I'm blessed indeed. The world is mine.
--Author Unknown
Today, upon the bus I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I were so fair,
When suddenly she rose to leave, and I saw her hobble down the aisle,
She had one leg, and wore a crutch, and as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two legs. The world is mine.
And then I stopped to buy some sweets, The lad who sold them had such charm,
I talk to him: he seemed so glad... if I were late 'twould do no harm,
And as I left he said to me :"Thank you. You have been so kind.
It's nice to talk to folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind".
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two eyes. The world is mine.
Later, walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I have two ears. The world is mine.
With legs to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset glow,
Two ears to hear what I would know...
Oh God, forgive me when I whine...
I'm blessed indeed. The world is mine.
--Author Unknown
Someone who understands
Advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy. Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." "Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money." The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?" "Sure," said the farmer.
And with that he let out a whistle, "Here,Dolly!" he called. Out from
The doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...."I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and
began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."
The world is full of people who need someone who understands.
And with that he let out a whistle, "Here,Dolly!" he called. Out from
The doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...."I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and
began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."
The world is full of people who need someone who understands.
Obvious
Obvious
Science has a language of its own which sometimes puzzles laymen. The
word "obvious" is a case in point.
A professor of physics, deriving some profound point of theory for
the class, scribbled an equation on the board and said, "From this,
it is obvious that we can proceed to write the following
relationship..." and he scribbled a second and equally long equation
on the board.
Then he paused. He stared hard at the two equations and said, "Wait a
minute, I may be wrong..."
He sat down and began to write at his desk furiously, crossing out
and rewriting for five minutes while the class sat in absolute
silence waiting for the verdict.
Finally, the professor rose with an air of satisfaction and said,
"Yes, I was right in the first place. It 'IS' obvious that the second
equation follows from the first."
Science has a language of its own which sometimes puzzles laymen. The
word "obvious" is a case in point.
A professor of physics, deriving some profound point of theory for
the class, scribbled an equation on the board and said, "From this,
it is obvious that we can proceed to write the following
relationship..." and he scribbled a second and equally long equation
on the board.
Then he paused. He stared hard at the two equations and said, "Wait a
minute, I may be wrong..."
He sat down and began to write at his desk furiously, crossing out
and rewriting for five minutes while the class sat in absolute
silence waiting for the verdict.
Finally, the professor rose with an air of satisfaction and said,
"Yes, I was right in the first place. It 'IS' obvious that the second
equation follows from the first."
Who is your hero
WHO'S YOUR HERO?
One of those strange newspaper stories told of a 19-year-old woman who
had been charged in Los Angeles with two counts of trespassing, after
sneaking into the home of actor Brad Pitt and trying on his clothes. I
suppose we have different ways of adoring our heroes..
But who are our real heroes? I was given a little quiz recently. See
how well you do:
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name five Olympic gold medalists.
Name the last five winners of your national beauty contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
Name the last decade's national or world champions in your favorite sport.
These people, of course, are the best in their fields. But fame is fleeting and outstanding performance is too soon forgotten.
>Now try another quiz:
> List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
> Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
> Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
> Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
> Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
> Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
If you found the second quiz easier, it may be because those people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the best degrees or pedigrees, nor are they the most honored or honorable. The people who make a difference are those who care. They may never have seen a battle; never scored a winning goal; never been featured in a magazine. But they have been busy helping you to be the best you can be.
Let's remember and thank our real heroes. And don't be surprised if someone thanks you.
One of those strange newspaper stories told of a 19-year-old woman who
had been charged in Los Angeles with two counts of trespassing, after
sneaking into the home of actor Brad Pitt and trying on his clothes. I
suppose we have different ways of adoring our heroes..
But who are our real heroes? I was given a little quiz recently. See
how well you do:
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name five Olympic gold medalists.
Name the last five winners of your national beauty contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
Name the last decade's national or world champions in your favorite sport.
These people, of course, are the best in their fields. But fame is fleeting and outstanding performance is too soon forgotten.
>Now try another quiz:
> List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
> Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
> Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
> Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
> Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
> Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
If you found the second quiz easier, it may be because those people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the best degrees or pedigrees, nor are they the most honored or honorable. The people who make a difference are those who care. They may never have seen a battle; never scored a winning goal; never been featured in a magazine. But they have been busy helping you to be the best you can be.
Let's remember and thank our real heroes. And don't be surprised if someone thanks you.
Crossing the Lines
Crossing The Lines
By Mike Collins
A couple of months ago I was driving the narrow,
twisting, turning backroads that led home. After
pulling into the driveway and stepping out of my
vehicle I noticed something that really left me
disgusted. At first I thought it was mud from the
tires, but after closer inspection I determined it to
be State-Road Yellow paint splashed on the
driver's-side of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Apparently I
overlooked the Wet Paint signs crews had left behind
after repainting the centerlines on the ultra-narrow
roads.
When I recognized what was on my vehicle I was so
angry that I nearly called the State Road Department
to give them a piece of my mind. Isn't it funny how we
complain about things that are entirely our own fault?
I mean, I could have complained about the paint until
I was blue in the face, but it never would have
changed the fact that I was the very person to
blame after all, it was my careless crossing of the
lines that put the paint where it was in the first
place.
It's funny how you never realize just how much you
actually cross the lines until you have the evidence
splashed all over you. I'm no longer talking about
asphalt and State-Road Yellow paint; I'm talking about
the Strait and Narrow and the mess you can get into
when you stray into areas where you don't belong.
However, God loves us so much that He often repaints
the boundaries in order for us to see them better.
I was angry at the State Road Department for
repainting the very lines that have been placed where
they are for my personal safety. They are painted and
repainted for my own good, and exist for the sole
purpose of preventing us from crossing into dangerous
areas. If we stay within these painted guidelines we
will decrease our chances of getting into messes that
we certainly do not belong, and will increase our
chance for reaching our destination safely.
As Christians we too have guidelines painted for us to
follow as well. If we stay on the Strait and Narrow
and stick to the guidelines the Word of God has
spelled out, then we will decrease our chances of
getting into many undesirable messes, and we will
steadily increase our chance of reaching our ultimate
destination safely. As Christians our destination is
Heaven, and the Christian life we live is the road
called the Strait and Narrow.
Napoleon once said, "The Gospel is not merely a
book, it is a living power, a book surpassing all
others. The soul can never go astray with this book for
its guide."
But how does God repaint when the Word of God has
already been written? It's simple: He uses painters, we
know them as preachers, never adding or taking from the
Scriptures, but rather going over the lines again and
again in order to bring them to our attention. It's
good to know we still have ministers in our pulpits
that are not afraid to pick up a brush and apply a
fresh coat of paint when needed.
So while on this narrow road if we find ourselves in a
mess brought on by our crossing of the lines into
areas where we should never have strayed, we need
never blame God or the preacher because of painted or
repainted guidelines; our blame should be directed to
the person doing the driving ourselves.
This Sunday at church, remember to look for the sign
that reads Warning, Wet Paint Ahead and thank God for
the guidelines painted for your benefit, then thank
your pastor for still carrying the paintbrush to the
pulpit.
By Mike Collins
A couple of months ago I was driving the narrow,
twisting, turning backroads that led home. After
pulling into the driveway and stepping out of my
vehicle I noticed something that really left me
disgusted. At first I thought it was mud from the
tires, but after closer inspection I determined it to
be State-Road Yellow paint splashed on the
driver's-side of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Apparently I
overlooked the Wet Paint signs crews had left behind
after repainting the centerlines on the ultra-narrow
roads.
When I recognized what was on my vehicle I was so
angry that I nearly called the State Road Department
to give them a piece of my mind. Isn't it funny how we
complain about things that are entirely our own fault?
I mean, I could have complained about the paint until
I was blue in the face, but it never would have
changed the fact that I was the very person to
blame after all, it was my careless crossing of the
lines that put the paint where it was in the first
place.
It's funny how you never realize just how much you
actually cross the lines until you have the evidence
splashed all over you. I'm no longer talking about
asphalt and State-Road Yellow paint; I'm talking about
the Strait and Narrow and the mess you can get into
when you stray into areas where you don't belong.
However, God loves us so much that He often repaints
the boundaries in order for us to see them better.
I was angry at the State Road Department for
repainting the very lines that have been placed where
they are for my personal safety. They are painted and
repainted for my own good, and exist for the sole
purpose of preventing us from crossing into dangerous
areas. If we stay within these painted guidelines we
will decrease our chances of getting into messes that
we certainly do not belong, and will increase our
chance for reaching our destination safely.
As Christians we too have guidelines painted for us to
follow as well. If we stay on the Strait and Narrow
and stick to the guidelines the Word of God has
spelled out, then we will decrease our chances of
getting into many undesirable messes, and we will
steadily increase our chance of reaching our ultimate
destination safely. As Christians our destination is
Heaven, and the Christian life we live is the road
called the Strait and Narrow.
Napoleon once said, "The Gospel is not merely a
book, it is a living power, a book surpassing all
others. The soul can never go astray with this book for
its guide."
But how does God repaint when the Word of God has
already been written? It's simple: He uses painters, we
know them as preachers, never adding or taking from the
Scriptures, but rather going over the lines again and
again in order to bring them to our attention. It's
good to know we still have ministers in our pulpits
that are not afraid to pick up a brush and apply a
fresh coat of paint when needed.
So while on this narrow road if we find ourselves in a
mess brought on by our crossing of the lines into
areas where we should never have strayed, we need
never blame God or the preacher because of painted or
repainted guidelines; our blame should be directed to
the person doing the driving ourselves.
This Sunday at church, remember to look for the sign
that reads Warning, Wet Paint Ahead and thank God for
the guidelines painted for your benefit, then thank
your pastor for still carrying the paintbrush to the
pulpit.
Death and Life in the power of the tongue
From: "Danny Duke" A FROGGY TALE A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead. Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn't be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted. His companions began anew, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and -- wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked, "Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?" Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds. This simple story contains a powerful lesson. The book of Proverbs says, "There is death and life in the power of the tongue."
If I Knew
IF I KNEW 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 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 just right. There will always be another day to say "I love you," And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?" 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, and 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.
Family
FAMILY I ran into a stranger as he passed by, "Oh excuse me please" was my reply. He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you." We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said good-bye. But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. "Move out of the way," I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the children you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes." By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; "Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" He smiled, "I found'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue." I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way." He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway." I said, "Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue." Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our own family -- an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means? FAMILY= (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU!
An American
You probably missed it in the rush of the news. But there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is, so they would know when they found one. An American is English, or German, or Scotch, or Irish, or Welsh,French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans. An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, maybe Buddhist, or even Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God. An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in their Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness. An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country. As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America, their Statue of Liberty, welcomes the tired and the poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, Mussolini and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American
the King's highway
"The King's Highway" Once a king had a great highway built for the members of his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many as desired to participate. Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best. On the day of the contest the people came. Some of them had fine chariots, some had fine clothing, fine hairdos, or great food. Some young men came in their track clothes and ran along the highway. People traveled the highway all day, but each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king that there was a large pile of rocks and debris left on the road at one spot and this got in their way and hindered their travel. At the end of the day, a lone traveler crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a bag of gold. he explained, "I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This bag of gold was under it all. I want you to return it to its rightful owner." The king replied, "You are the rightful owner." The traveler replied, "Oh no, this is not mine. I've never known such money." "Oh yes," said the king, "you've earned this gold, for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is he who makes the road smoother for those who will follow." ~~Author Unknown
Did God Create evil
"DID GOD CREATE EVIL?" Did God create Evil? This will make you think for a while. At a certain college, there was a professor with a reputation for being tough on Christians. At the first class every semester, he asked if anyone was a Christian and proceeded to degrade them and to mock their statement of faith. One semester, he asked the question and a young man raised his hand when asked if anyone was a Christian. The professor asked, "Did God make everything, young man?" He replied, "Yes sir He did!" The professor responded, "If God made everything, then He made evil." The student didn't have a response and the professor was happy to have once again proved the Christian faith to be a myth. Then another man raised his hand and asked, "May I ask you something, sir?" "Yes, you may," responded the professor. The young man stood up and said "Sir, is there such thing as cold?" "Of cou rse there is, what kind of question is that? Haven't you ever been cold?" The young man replied, "Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. What we consider to be cold, is really an absence of heat. Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold does not really exist. We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there." The young man continued, "Sir, is there such a thing as dark?" Once again, the professor responded "Of course there is." And once again, the student replied "Actually, sir, darkness does not exist. Darkness is really only the absence of light. Darkness is only a term man developed to describe what happens when there is no light present." Finally, the young man asked, "Sir, is there such thing as evil?" The professor responded, "Of course. We have rapes, and murders and violence everywhere in the world, those things are evil." <>The student replied, "Actually, sir, evil does not exist. Evil is simply the absence of God. Evil is a term man developed to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. It isn't like truth, or love, which exist as virtues like heat or light. Evil is simply the state where God is not present, like cold without heat or darkness without light." The professor had nothing to say............
Scars
SCARS Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother, in the house and looking out the window, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as l oudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scar s. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go." You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past! Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not, and will not, ever let you go. Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. Never judge another persons scars, because you don't know how they got them. Also, it is soooo important that we are not selfish to receive the blessings of these messages without forwarding them to someone else. Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them, and that you love them too....enough to not let them go. -Author Unknown
Perspectives
Two candidates for political office inadvertently scheduled simultaneous
campaign rallies in the same park of a small New England town.
After a lengthy round of speeches, the candidates worked their way through
the crowd -- shaking hands, kissing babies and beaming mightily. Suddenly,
the skies opened and it began to rain.
One of the candidates fled to take shelter in a nearby restaurant along with
half a dozen regulars. The other candidate, however, continued to move
through the crowd -- shaking hands, kissing babies, etc.
"That man's persistence," observed one of the natives, "sure makes it easy
to know who to vote for."
"Yep," another native agreed.
"Sure can't see myself casting a vote for a man who hasn't the good sense to
come in out of the rain."
- It's no wonder the world is the way it is when people's perspective on the
same events can be so different.
campaign rallies in the same park of a small New England town.
After a lengthy round of speeches, the candidates worked their way through
the crowd -- shaking hands, kissing babies and beaming mightily. Suddenly,
the skies opened and it began to rain.
One of the candidates fled to take shelter in a nearby restaurant along with
half a dozen regulars. The other candidate, however, continued to move
through the crowd -- shaking hands, kissing babies, etc.
"That man's persistence," observed one of the natives, "sure makes it easy
to know who to vote for."
"Yep," another native agreed.
"Sure can't see myself casting a vote for a man who hasn't the good sense to
come in out of the rain."
- It's no wonder the world is the way it is when people's perspective on the
same events can be so different.
Those are my principles
THOSE ARE MY PRINCIPLES
Comedian Groucho Marx quipped, "Those are my principles. If you
don't like them, I have others."
You and I have principles. And we also have opinions. I have
opinions about what I think is right or wrong or good or bad. But
they're only opinions - I COULD be wrong! I won't try to build my
life around my opinions, but I WILL endeavor to stand by my
principles.
A 15-year-old boy learned a valuable lesson about life
principles. He wrote a letter to "Dear Abby" about finding a
woman's wallet that contained $127 as well as the woman's
identification. He hopped onto his bicycle and peddled over to
her house - about a mile away. He told her he found her wallet
and she gave him a big hug. She also gave him twenty dollars.
That evening the boy told his parents about the event and his
father said, "I don't think you should have accepted $20 for
doing what you should have done. A person shouldn't be rewarded
for being honest."
He pondered his father's statement and decided he would return
the money. He biked to the lady's home and gave her back
the twenty dollars. She didn't want to take it, but he told her
she had to - that his father pointed out something to him that he
had never realized before. Her eyes filled with tears as she
said, "This is one for Ripley."
The boy's question to Abby? "Abby, who is Ripley?"
Is a life built around principles so unusual that Robert Ripley
should mention it in his column "Believe It or Not"? When
ideals such as honesty and a personal standard of always
doing the right thing guide our every action and decision, we
actually change. These great principles shape our lives and make
us into persons of character. They build self esteem and teach
confidence. That boy is fortunate to be raised by a wise father
who had the wisdom to say, "Those are my principles."
Martin Luther King, Jr. put it well: "The time is always right to
do what is right." Those were his principles. Decide to
always do what is right - today and every day - and you will find
yourself building a life that matters.
Comedian Groucho Marx quipped, "Those are my principles. If you
don't like them, I have others."
You and I have principles. And we also have opinions. I have
opinions about what I think is right or wrong or good or bad. But
they're only opinions - I COULD be wrong! I won't try to build my
life around my opinions, but I WILL endeavor to stand by my
principles.
A 15-year-old boy learned a valuable lesson about life
principles. He wrote a letter to "Dear Abby" about finding a
woman's wallet that contained $127 as well as the woman's
identification. He hopped onto his bicycle and peddled over to
her house - about a mile away. He told her he found her wallet
and she gave him a big hug. She also gave him twenty dollars.
That evening the boy told his parents about the event and his
father said, "I don't think you should have accepted $20 for
doing what you should have done. A person shouldn't be rewarded
for being honest."
He pondered his father's statement and decided he would return
the money. He biked to the lady's home and gave her back
the twenty dollars. She didn't want to take it, but he told her
she had to - that his father pointed out something to him that he
had never realized before. Her eyes filled with tears as she
said, "This is one for Ripley."
The boy's question to Abby? "Abby, who is Ripley?"
Is a life built around principles so unusual that Robert Ripley
should mention it in his column "Believe It or Not"? When
ideals such as honesty and a personal standard of always
doing the right thing guide our every action and decision, we
actually change. These great principles shape our lives and make
us into persons of character. They build self esteem and teach
confidence. That boy is fortunate to be raised by a wise father
who had the wisdom to say, "Those are my principles."
Martin Luther King, Jr. put it well: "The time is always right to
do what is right." Those were his principles. Decide to
always do what is right - today and every day - and you will find
yourself building a life that matters.
Choosing the right compass
CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPASS
"We pass this way but once," we have heard it said. But my wife
has learned that, unless I've studied a map, that isn't
necessarily true.
So I understand the fix a local hunting guide got himself into.
His party became hopelessly lost in the mountains and they blamed
him for leading them astray. "You told us you were the best guide
in Colorado!" they asserted.
"I am," he said, "but I think we're in Wyoming now."
It's bad enough to get lost in the city or in the mountains. But
how much worse to get lost in our life's journey.
One parent asked the clerk in a discount store if they carried
any compasses. She answered, "We have compasses for making
circles, but not for going places." Have you ever confused the
two? Has it seemed as if your life is going in circles and not
actually getting anywhere? Then it may be that you are using the
wrong compass.
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you feel as if you are
going in circles:
* Where do I want to be a few years from now (in this
relationship, this vocation, or any other way important to me)?
* What do I need to do to make it happen?
* Who will help me along the way?
* When do I want to arrive?
* How will I take the next small step?
Living well has little to do with comfort and speed, but much to
do with direction.
"We pass this way but once," we have heard it said. But my wife
has learned that, unless I've studied a map, that isn't
necessarily true.
So I understand the fix a local hunting guide got himself into.
His party became hopelessly lost in the mountains and they blamed
him for leading them astray. "You told us you were the best guide
in Colorado!" they asserted.
"I am," he said, "but I think we're in Wyoming now."
It's bad enough to get lost in the city or in the mountains. But
how much worse to get lost in our life's journey.
One parent asked the clerk in a discount store if they carried
any compasses. She answered, "We have compasses for making
circles, but not for going places." Have you ever confused the
two? Has it seemed as if your life is going in circles and not
actually getting anywhere? Then it may be that you are using the
wrong compass.
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you feel as if you are
going in circles:
* Where do I want to be a few years from now (in this
relationship, this vocation, or any other way important to me)?
* What do I need to do to make it happen?
* Who will help me along the way?
* When do I want to arrive?
* How will I take the next small step?
Living well has little to do with comfort and speed, but much to
do with direction.
Character Loans
Character Loans
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4, NIV).
A few years back, Citibank instituted an unusual new loan program
called "character loans." These particular loans were not granted on
the basis of good credit or an outstanding business plan. Instead,
small loans were made on the basis of the loan applicants' character.
If a loan officer assessed the applicant as being of good character,
and therefore more likely to pay back the loan, then they would grant
the applicants' loan request.
Out of the $10 million lent through character loans, only $30,000 has
not been paid back. That is a remarkably good rate of return.
It has been wisely said that it's not the distance in life we go that
counts, but the direction. And as Peter Marshall said, "It's not the
duration of a life that counts, but the donation." And as the Bible
says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed
is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1, NIV).
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please face me with every character issue
I have that needs resolving, and please lead me to the help I need to
overcome these, so that my character will reflect your saving power and
love in my life. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."
From the files of writer and speaker King Duncan, author of The Amazing
Law of Influence. Source: http://www.goodstories.com
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Dick Eastman
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4, NIV).
A few years back, Citibank instituted an unusual new loan program
called "character loans." These particular loans were not granted on
the basis of good credit or an outstanding business plan. Instead,
small loans were made on the basis of the loan applicants' character.
If a loan officer assessed the applicant as being of good character,
and therefore more likely to pay back the loan, then they would grant
the applicants' loan request.
Out of the $10 million lent through character loans, only $30,000 has
not been paid back. That is a remarkably good rate of return.
It has been wisely said that it's not the distance in life we go that
counts, but the direction. And as Peter Marshall said, "It's not the
duration of a life that counts, but the donation." And as the Bible
says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed
is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1, NIV).
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please face me with every character issue
I have that needs resolving, and please lead me to the help I need to
overcome these, so that my character will reflect your saving power and
love in my life. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."
From the files of writer and speaker King Duncan, author of The Amazing
Law of Influence. Source: http://www.goodstories.com
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Dick Eastman
I hold clear title
I Hold Clear Title
Some years ago radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller announced that he
would speak the following Sunday on "Heaven."
It was to be broadcast on radio. During that week he received a
letter from an elderly gentleman who was very ill. Here is part of
that letter:
"Next Sunday you are to talk about 'Heaven.' I am interested in that
land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for
over 55 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money
and without price. But the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous
sacrifice. I am not holding it for speculation since the title is
nontransferable. It is not a vacant lot.
"For more than a half-century I have been sending material out of
which the greatest architect and builder of the universe has been
building a home for me, which will never need to be repaired because
it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old.
"Termites can never undermine its foundation for it rests upon the
Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away.
No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious
person can ever enter that land where my dwelling stands, now almost
completed and ready for me to enter it and abide in peace eternally
without fear of being ejected.
"There is a valley of deep shadow between the place where I live in
California and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I
cannot reach my home in the City of God without passing through the
dark valley of shadows. But I am not afraid, because the best friend
that I have ever had went through the same valley alone, a long,
long, time ago and drove away all the gloom. He has stuck by me
through thick and thin since we first met and became acquainted 55
years ago, and I hold His
promise in printed form, never to forsake nor to leave me alone. He
will be with me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall
not lose my way when He is with me.
"I hope to hear your sermon on "Heaven" next Sunday from my home,
but I have no assurance that I shall be able to do so. My ticket to
heaven has no date marked for the journey...no return coupon...and no
permit for baggage. Yes, I am ready to go and may not be here while
you are talking next Sunday, but I shall meet you there some day."
Some years ago radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller announced that he
would speak the following Sunday on "Heaven."
It was to be broadcast on radio. During that week he received a
letter from an elderly gentleman who was very ill. Here is part of
that letter:
"Next Sunday you are to talk about 'Heaven.' I am interested in that
land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for
over 55 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money
and without price. But the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous
sacrifice. I am not holding it for speculation since the title is
nontransferable. It is not a vacant lot.
"For more than a half-century I have been sending material out of
which the greatest architect and builder of the universe has been
building a home for me, which will never need to be repaired because
it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old.
"Termites can never undermine its foundation for it rests upon the
Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away.
No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious
person can ever enter that land where my dwelling stands, now almost
completed and ready for me to enter it and abide in peace eternally
without fear of being ejected.
"There is a valley of deep shadow between the place where I live in
California and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I
cannot reach my home in the City of God without passing through the
dark valley of shadows. But I am not afraid, because the best friend
that I have ever had went through the same valley alone, a long,
long, time ago and drove away all the gloom. He has stuck by me
through thick and thin since we first met and became acquainted 55
years ago, and I hold His
promise in printed form, never to forsake nor to leave me alone. He
will be with me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall
not lose my way when He is with me.
"I hope to hear your sermon on "Heaven" next Sunday from my home,
but I have no assurance that I shall be able to do so. My ticket to
heaven has no date marked for the journey...no return coupon...and no
permit for baggage. Yes, I am ready to go and may not be here while
you are talking next Sunday, but I shall meet you there some day."
Granma knows how to cook
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his
Grandmother's
house.
Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When
little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Johnny, wait until we say our prayer," his mother reminded him.
"I don't have to," the little boy replied.
"Of course you do," his mother insisted, "we say a prayer before eating
at
our house."
"That's at our house," Johnny explained, "but this is Grandma's house
and
she knows how to cook!"
Grandmother's
house.
Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When
little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Johnny, wait until we say our prayer," his mother reminded him.
"I don't have to," the little boy replied.
"Of course you do," his mother insisted, "we say a prayer before eating
at
our house."
"That's at our house," Johnny explained, "but this is Grandma's house
and
she knows how to cook!"
How much Music can you make
HOW MUCH MUSIC CAN YOU MAKE?
By Steve Goodier © 2002
On Nov. 18, 1995, violinist Itzhak Perlman, performed a concert at
Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Stricken with
polio as a child, Perlman painfully walked with the aid of two
crutches to a chair in the middle of the stage. He carefully laid the
crutches on the floor, loosened the clasps of his leg braces, extended
one leg forward and the other underneath his chair, picked up his
instrument and nodded to the conductor to begin.
But something went wrong. After only seconds of playing, one of the
strings on his violin broke. The snap was a gunfire reverberating in
the auditorium. The audience immediately knew what happened and fully
expected the concert to be suspended until another string or even
another instrument could be found.
But Perlman surprised them. He quietly composed himself, closed his
eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra
resumed where they had left off and Perlman played -- on three
strings. He played with passion and power. All the time he worked out
new fingering in his mind to compensate for the missing string. A work
that few people could play well on four strings Perlman accomplished
on three.
When he finished, an awesome silence hung in the room. And then as
one, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered wildly. Applause burst
forth from every corner of the auditorium as fans showed deep
appreciation for his talent and his courage.
Perlman smiled and wiped the sweat from this brow. Then he raised his
bow to quiet the crowd and said, not boastfully, but in a quiet,
pensive, reverent tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task
to find out how much music you can still make with what you have
left."
Perlman should know. Polio left him with less stamina than he had
before, yet he went on. Playing a concert on three strings is not
unlike his philosophy of life -- he persevered with what he had left
and still made music.
And isn't that true with us? Our task is to find out how much music we
can still make with what we have left. How much good we can still do.
How much joy we can still share. For I'm convinced that the world,
more than ever, needs the music only you and I can make.
And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud
your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these
brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights.
So I want to ask, "How much music can you make with what you have
left?"
By Steve Goodier © 2002
On Nov. 18, 1995, violinist Itzhak Perlman, performed a concert at
Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Stricken with
polio as a child, Perlman painfully walked with the aid of two
crutches to a chair in the middle of the stage. He carefully laid the
crutches on the floor, loosened the clasps of his leg braces, extended
one leg forward and the other underneath his chair, picked up his
instrument and nodded to the conductor to begin.
But something went wrong. After only seconds of playing, one of the
strings on his violin broke. The snap was a gunfire reverberating in
the auditorium. The audience immediately knew what happened and fully
expected the concert to be suspended until another string or even
another instrument could be found.
But Perlman surprised them. He quietly composed himself, closed his
eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra
resumed where they had left off and Perlman played -- on three
strings. He played with passion and power. All the time he worked out
new fingering in his mind to compensate for the missing string. A work
that few people could play well on four strings Perlman accomplished
on three.
When he finished, an awesome silence hung in the room. And then as
one, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered wildly. Applause burst
forth from every corner of the auditorium as fans showed deep
appreciation for his talent and his courage.
Perlman smiled and wiped the sweat from this brow. Then he raised his
bow to quiet the crowd and said, not boastfully, but in a quiet,
pensive, reverent tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task
to find out how much music you can still make with what you have
left."
Perlman should know. Polio left him with less stamina than he had
before, yet he went on. Playing a concert on three strings is not
unlike his philosophy of life -- he persevered with what he had left
and still made music.
And isn't that true with us? Our task is to find out how much music we
can still make with what we have left. How much good we can still do.
How much joy we can still share. For I'm convinced that the world,
more than ever, needs the music only you and I can make.
And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud
your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these
brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights.
So I want to ask, "How much music can you make with what you have
left?"
God won't Ask
God Won't Ask!
The Lord's message rang out from you . . . your faith in God has become known everywhere. (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 1:8
God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how manypeople you welcomed into your home.
God won't ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.
God won't ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.
God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.
God won't ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.
God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.
God won't ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.
God won't ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.
God won't ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.
God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won't ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.
God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn't.
Author unknown
The Lord's message rang out from you . . . your faith in God has become known everywhere. (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 1:8
God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how manypeople you welcomed into your home.
God won't ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.
God won't ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.
God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.
God won't ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.
God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.
God won't ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.
God won't ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.
God won't ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.
God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won't ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.
God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn't.
Author unknown
Steve's Pushups
Steve's Pushups
Long, to be sure, but well worth reading!!!!
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending a Christian school in
Texas. In this school Dr. Christianson was one of the professors who
taught theology and Bible. He had an open-door policy and would take in any
student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would
abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period class for
roody behavior and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Dr.
Christianson's class.
Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before
the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also
be the first to leave after the class was over.
One day, Professor Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could
talk with him. After class, Dr. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said,
"You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"
Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."
Then Dr. Christianson asked, "How many pushups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think
you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" Again asked Dr. Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this
to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Dr.
Christianson said.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."
Professor Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.
When class started, Dr. Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now
these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG
kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and
they were going to get an early start on the weekend.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,
"Cynthia, do you want a donut?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten
pushups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then
Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's
desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you
want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten pushups so
Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups, Joe got a donut.
And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person
before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr.
Christianson came to Scott.
Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team.
He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Dr.
Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten
pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want
one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and
my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a
donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on
the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and
down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his
brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were
beginning to get a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"
Jenny said, "No."
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so
Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a
donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these
uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a
lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a
small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were
beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten
pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for
all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the
heaters along the sides of the room. When Dr. Christianson realized this;
he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry
if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.
Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was
taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each
one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You
can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when
all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said,
"No, let him come."
Dr. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to
do ten pushups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right
now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
"Yes."
"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?"
Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered,
was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on
the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle
to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his
face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Dr.
Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you
want a doughnut?
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that
Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want
a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Dr. Christianson, can I
help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone,
Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that
he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups,
his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Professor Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that
our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, 'Into Thy hands I commend My
Spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was
required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those
in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
(author unknown to me)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."(John 3:16)
Long, to be sure, but well worth reading!!!!
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending a Christian school in
Texas. In this school Dr. Christianson was one of the professors who
taught theology and Bible. He had an open-door policy and would take in any
student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would
abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period class for
roody behavior and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Dr.
Christianson's class.
Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before
the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also
be the first to leave after the class was over.
One day, Professor Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could
talk with him. After class, Dr. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said,
"You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"
Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."
Then Dr. Christianson asked, "How many pushups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think
you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" Again asked Dr. Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this
to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Dr.
Christianson said.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."
Professor Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.
When class started, Dr. Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now
these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG
kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and
they were going to get an early start on the weekend.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,
"Cynthia, do you want a donut?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten
pushups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then
Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's
desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you
want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten pushups so
Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups, Joe got a donut.
And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person
before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr.
Christianson came to Scott.
Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team.
He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Dr.
Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten
pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want
one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and
my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a
donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on
the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and
down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his
brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were
beginning to get a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"
Jenny said, "No."
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so
Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a
donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these
uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a
lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a
small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were
beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten
pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for
all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the
heaters along the sides of the room. When Dr. Christianson realized this;
he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry
if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.
Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was
taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each
one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You
can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when
all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said,
"No, let him come."
Dr. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to
do ten pushups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right
now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
"Yes."
"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?"
Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered,
was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on
the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle
to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his
face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Dr.
Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you
want a doughnut?
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that
Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want
a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Dr. Christianson, can I
help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone,
Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that
he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups,
his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Professor Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that
our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, 'Into Thy hands I commend My
Spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was
required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those
in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
(author unknown to me)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."(John 3:16)
The other side
A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the
examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the otherside?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing, except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side. I know my Master Jesus Christ is there, and that is enough.
examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the otherside?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing, except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side. I know my Master Jesus Christ is there, and that is enough.
It takes
It takes strength to be firm.
It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer.
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pains.
It takes courage to show them.
It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.
It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.
~ Author Unknown
It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer.
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pains.
It takes courage to show them.
It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.
It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.
~ Author Unknown
Questions
A man took his son fishing one day. After a few hours in the boat with not
much to do, the son started asking his father some questions.
"How does the boat float?" he asked.
The man thought about the question for a moment, then said, "I don't really
know, son."
"Well, how do fish breath underwater?"
The man scratched his head. "I guess I don't know the answer to that one
either."
"Why is the sky blue?" the boy persisted.
The father replied, "I really don't know, son."
The boy started to worry that his father was getting upset at all the
questions. "Do you mind me asking questions, Dad?"
His father immediately reassured him. "No, of course not, son! If you
don't ask questions, you'll never learn anything!"
much to do, the son started asking his father some questions.
"How does the boat float?" he asked.
The man thought about the question for a moment, then said, "I don't really
know, son."
"Well, how do fish breath underwater?"
The man scratched his head. "I guess I don't know the answer to that one
either."
"Why is the sky blue?" the boy persisted.
The father replied, "I really don't know, son."
The boy started to worry that his father was getting upset at all the
questions. "Do you mind me asking questions, Dad?"
His father immediately reassured him. "No, of course not, son! If you
don't ask questions, you'll never learn anything!"
Hobson's Choice
IT'S A CHOICE
One man tells of driving a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of
it unpaved, in order to watch Hopi Indian ceremonial dances in
Arizona. After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it
had a flat tire. He put on the spare and drove to the only service
station on the Hopi reservation.
"Do you fix flats?" he inquired of the attendant.
"Yes," came the answer.
"How much do you charge?" he asked.
With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, "What difference does it
make?"
This is what has been called a "Hobson's choice." A Hobson's choice is
a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go
without. According to Barbara Berliner (THE BOOK OF ANSWERS, Simon &
Schuster Inc., 1990), the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century
entrepreneur Thomas Hobson, who hired out horses in strict rotation at
Cambridge University. There was no choosing by the customer - it was
strictly Hobson's choice.
But most of the time we really do have a choice, and the choice we
make does make a difference. We may not always believe it. We may
feel as if we have no choice...we have to do such and such.
But we usually do have a choice. When we realize that most of what we
do we do by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives.
Here is an experiment. For the next 48 hours, eliminate the words "I
have to" from your vocabulary and substitute the words "I choose to."
Don't say, "I have to work late tonight." Instead, say, "I choose to
work late." When you choose to do it, you take control of your life.
Instead of saying, "I have to stay home," try "I choose to stay home."
The way you spend your time is your choice. You set the priorities.
You are responsible. You have control.
There is very little in this life we have to do. You and I choose to
do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best.
When we eliminate "I have to" from our vocabularies, we take control.
Try it for two days (after all, it's your choice), and you are sure to
feel less helpless and more in charge of your life right away.
In almost every situation, we do have some choice. And the choice we
make will make a difference. Take control - for in the end, it's thosechoices we make that will make our lives happier and more fulfilled.
One man tells of driving a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of
it unpaved, in order to watch Hopi Indian ceremonial dances in
Arizona. After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it
had a flat tire. He put on the spare and drove to the only service
station on the Hopi reservation.
"Do you fix flats?" he inquired of the attendant.
"Yes," came the answer.
"How much do you charge?" he asked.
With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, "What difference does it
make?"
This is what has been called a "Hobson's choice." A Hobson's choice is
a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go
without. According to Barbara Berliner (THE BOOK OF ANSWERS, Simon &
Schuster Inc., 1990), the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century
entrepreneur Thomas Hobson, who hired out horses in strict rotation at
Cambridge University. There was no choosing by the customer - it was
strictly Hobson's choice.
But most of the time we really do have a choice, and the choice we
make does make a difference. We may not always believe it. We may
feel as if we have no choice...we have to do such and such.
But we usually do have a choice. When we realize that most of what we
do we do by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives.
Here is an experiment. For the next 48 hours, eliminate the words "I
have to" from your vocabulary and substitute the words "I choose to."
Don't say, "I have to work late tonight." Instead, say, "I choose to
work late." When you choose to do it, you take control of your life.
Instead of saying, "I have to stay home," try "I choose to stay home."
The way you spend your time is your choice. You set the priorities.
You are responsible. You have control.
There is very little in this life we have to do. You and I choose to
do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best.
When we eliminate "I have to" from our vocabularies, we take control.
Try it for two days (after all, it's your choice), and you are sure to
feel less helpless and more in charge of your life right away.
In almost every situation, we do have some choice. And the choice we
make will make a difference. Take control - for in the end, it's thosechoices we make that will make our lives happier and more fulfilled.
It is the soldier
It is the soldier,
not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier,
not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier,
not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier,
not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier,
not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
The Christmas Gift
The Christmas Gift
Author Unknown
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from
his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve
when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was
walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this
your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."
The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave
it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..."
He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for.
He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But
what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his
heels.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother
like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively
he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes
aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front
on my house?"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the
lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that
he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul
was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two
steps are?" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard
him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He
was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him
down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.
"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs.
His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't
cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you
one just like it... then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've
been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his
car. The shingled-eyed older brother climbed in beside
him and the three of them began a memorable holiday
ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant
when he had said, "It's more blessed to give...."
Author Unknown
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from
his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve
when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was
walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this
your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."
The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave
it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..."
He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for.
He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But
what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his
heels.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother
like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively
he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes
aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front
on my house?"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the
lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that
he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul
was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two
steps are?" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard
him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He
was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him
down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.
"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs.
His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't
cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you
one just like it... then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've
been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his
car. The shingled-eyed older brother climbed in beside
him and the three of them began a memorable holiday
ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant
when he had said, "It's more blessed to give...."
Lateral Thinking
Lateral Thinking Puzzle... Just Check This Out!!!!
Scroll down slowly and be honest to yourself.
man
1. ------------
board
Ans. = man overboard
stand
2. ------------
I
Ans. = I understand
OK?.... Got the drift? Let's try a few now
and see how you fair?
3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/
Ans. = reading between the lines
4. r
road
a
d
Ans. = cross road
5. cycle
cycle
cycle
Ans. = tricycle
0
6. ------------
M.D.
Ph.D.
Ans. = two degrees below zero
knee
7. ------------
light
Ans. = neon light (knee-on-light)
ground
8. ---------------
feet feet feet feet feet feet
Ans. = six feet underground
9. he's / himself
Ans. = he's by himself
10. ecnalg
Ans. = backward glance
11. death ..... life
Ans. = life after death
12. THINK
Ans. think big !!
And the last one is real fundoo............
13. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbbababaabbaaabbbb....
Ans. long time no 'C' (see)
Scroll down slowly and be honest to yourself.
man
1. ------------
board
Ans. = man overboard
stand
2. ------------
I
Ans. = I understand
OK?.... Got the drift? Let's try a few now
and see how you fair?
3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/
Ans. = reading between the lines
4. r
road
a
d
Ans. = cross road
5. cycle
cycle
cycle
Ans. = tricycle
0
6. ------------
M.D.
Ph.D.
Ans. = two degrees below zero
knee
7. ------------
light
Ans. = neon light (knee-on-light)
ground
8. ---------------
feet feet feet feet feet feet
Ans. = six feet underground
9. he's / himself
Ans. = he's by himself
10. ecnalg
Ans. = backward glance
11. death ..... life
Ans. = life after death
12. THINK
Ans. think big !!
And the last one is real fundoo............
13. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbbababaabbaaabbbb....
Ans. long time no 'C' (see)
10 LIFESTYLE TRAITS
10 LIFESTYLE TRAITS THAT BUILD A LIFE
OF UNSHAKEABLE INNER CHARACTER
1. Walking with integrity
2. The power to choose what is right
3. The freedom of a truthful walk
4. Avoiding interpersonal espionage
5. Refusing to do harm
6. Not adding insult to injury
7. Well placed respect
8. Choosing commitment over convenience
9. Financial fairness
Putting principle above profit
OF UNSHAKEABLE INNER CHARACTER
1. Walking with integrity
2. The power to choose what is right
3. The freedom of a truthful walk
4. Avoiding interpersonal espionage
5. Refusing to do harm
6. Not adding insult to injury
7. Well placed respect
8. Choosing commitment over convenience
9. Financial fairness
Putting principle above profit
Erudite Concepts
ERUDITE CONCEPTS If you're not familiar with the work of Boswell D. Rabbitsmith, he's the famous erudite scientist who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates." His mind sees things differently than most of us do, to our amazement and amusement. Here are some of his gems:
1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
3 - Half the people you know are below average.
4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 - If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.
9 - All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met.
12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?
13 - How can you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 - When everything seems to be coming your way, maybe you're in the wrong lane.
17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not being smart enough to be lazy.
18 - Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.
19 - I intend to live forever... so far, so good.
20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
22 - What happens if you get scared half to death...twice?
23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
32 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.
33 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work
1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
3 - Half the people you know are below average.
4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 - If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.
9 - All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met.
12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?
13 - How can you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 - When everything seems to be coming your way, maybe you're in the wrong lane.
17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not being smart enough to be lazy.
18 - Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.
19 - I intend to live forever... so far, so good.
20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
22 - What happens if you get scared half to death...twice?
23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
32 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.
33 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work
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