December 2001
Quote of the Month: Am I not destroying my enemies what I make friends of them? - Abraham Lincoln
Thought:
A strong woman works out every
day to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in
shape...
A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...
A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...
A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...
A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the
journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that
she will
become strong.
--unknown to me
Story: The Burden
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom
door and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I
wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my
pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existence.
"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep
forever and never wake up!"
With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then
welcomed the blackness that came over me.
Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its
source: the figure of a man standing before a cross.
"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to
come to Me before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see
how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I
simply can't carry it anymore."
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me,
because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so
heavy?"
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you
would like to try a different one?"
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may
try any of these."
All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with
a name.
"Why there's Joan's!" I said. Joan was married to a
wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed
her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes
she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden
be? I thought.
The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I
sank to my knees beneath its weight.
"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of
her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak.
"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it
began. "He never should have married you. You're a terrible
mother to my grandchildren..."
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another.
It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged
from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy.
A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been
convicted of killing a police officer.
"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always
smiling and helping others. I didn't realize..."
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small
boys without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual
abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's
burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find
arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved
husband in a nursing home.
"They're all too heavy, Lord." I said. ""Give
back my own."
As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter
than the others.
"Lets look inside" He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea,"
I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there."
"Let Me see."
The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden.
He pulled out a brick.
"Tell me about this one."
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like
people in some countries or even the homeless here in America.
But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't
always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist.
And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."
"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your
children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them
that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My
sight."
Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?"
He asked. "Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call
my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not
quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always
getting hurt, and
someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time.
Someday I may really hurt him...."
"My child," He said, "if you trust Me, I will
renew your strength. If you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit,
I will give you patience."
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small.
But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't
make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm
overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I
hate the way I
look!"
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I
look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to
lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward
appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the
unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great
worth in My
sight."
My burden now seemed lighter than before.
"I guess I can handle it now." I said.
"There is more." He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me.
He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly
wound.
"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so.....Lord!
What happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!"
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into
His face. In His brow were ragged scars --as though someone had
pressed thorns into His flesh.
"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul.
"My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I
bought it."
"How?"
"With My blood."
"But why, Lord?"
"Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give it
to Me."
I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all
the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the
depression that constantly tormented me.
He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood
at it's base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you
always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and
show you things you cannot imagine now."
"Yes, Lord, I will call on You."
I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these
burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's,
Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's.....When you leave your burden here, I
carry it with you. Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is
light."
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I
heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
A peace flooded my soul.
- Louise Gouge, Moody Magazine February 1993, as it appeared in
Wit & Wisdom
Joke of the Week:
A very successful businessman
had a meeting with his new son-in-law. "I love my
daughter, and now I welcome you into the family," said the
man. "To show you how much we care for you, I'm making
you a 50-50 partner in my business.
All you have to do is go to the factory every day and learn the
operations."
The son-in-law interrupted, "I hate factories. I can't
stand the noise."
"I see," replied the father-in-law. "Well,
then you'll work in the office and take charge of some of the
operations."
"I hate office work," said the son-on-law. "I
can't stand being stuck behind a desk all day."
"Wait a minute," said the father-in-law. "I
just make you half-owner of a moneymaking organization, but you
don't like factories and won't work in a office. What am I
going to do with you?"
"Easy," said the young man. "Buy me out."
November 2001
Quote of the Week: Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. - Henry Ford (1863-1947)
Thought: Age
Men are like wine - some turn to
vinegar, but the best improve with age. - Pope John
XXIII
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it
doesn't matter. - Satchel Paige
Age is not a handicap. Age is nothing but a number. It is
how you use it. - Ethel Payne
The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and
lie about your age. - Lucille Ball
Story of the Week:
When God Make Mothers
By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into the sixth day
working overtime. An Angel appeared and said "Why are you
spending so much time on this one?" And the Lord answered
and
said, "Have you read the spec sheet on her? She has to be
completely washable, but not plastic; have 200 movable parts, all
replaceable; run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that
can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she
stands up; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scrape knee
to a broken heart; and have six pairs of hands."
The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six
pairs of hands! No Way!" said the Angel.
The Lord replied, Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem.
It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"
"And that's on the standard model?" the Angel asked.
The Lord
nodded in agreement, "Yep, one pair of eyes are to see
through
the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even
though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head,
are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she
can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They
are for looking at an errant child and saying that she
understands and loves him or her without even saying a single
word."
The Angel tried to stop the Lord "This is too much work for
one
day. Wait until tomorrow to finish." "But I can't!"
The Lord
protested "I am so close to finishing this creation that is
so
close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get
a nine year old to stand in the shower."
The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have
made
her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have
also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or
accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?" Asked the angel. The Lord
replied,
"Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to
reason,
and negotiate."
The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the
woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with
this
model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this
one."
"That's not a leak." the Lord objected. "That's a
tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked. The Lord said,
"The tear
is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment,
her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."
The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You
thought of
everything for this one. You even created the tear!"
The Lord looked at the Angel and smiled and said, "I'm
afraid you
are wrong again, my friend. I created the woman, but she created
the tear!"
- Author Unknown
Joke of the Week:
4 YEARS OF AGE My Mommy can do
anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE Wish I could talk it over with Mom.....
Meditation:
October 2001
Quote of the Week: To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.--Marilyn vos Savant
Thought:
LOVE IN THE HOME
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its
place, but
have not love, I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have
not love, my children learn cleanliness--not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the
child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.
As a mother, there is much I must teach my child,
but the greatest of all is love.
Story of the Week:
Attitude is Everything
by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always
in a good mood and always had something positive to say.
When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply,
"If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was
a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed
him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the
waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was
a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day,
Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive
side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to
Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a
positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself,
Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to
be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I
choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I
can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I
choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me
complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can
point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side
of life."
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes it is," Jerry said.
"Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the
junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react
to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom
line: It's your choice how you live life." I
reflected on what Jerry said.
Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own
business. We lost touch, but often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are
never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the
back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three
armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand,
shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The
robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found
relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was
released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in
his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him
how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins.
Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but
did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took
place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I
should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then,
as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices:
I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?"
I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they
wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on
the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.
In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man. " I knew I needed
to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was
a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry.
"She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I
replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited
for my reply...I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live.
Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Jerry lived
thanks to the skill of his doctors, but every day we have the
choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
Joke of the Week:
Mothers Never Change
PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have
to go, young
man. Midnight is past your curfew!"
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY'S MOTHER: "I don't mind you
having a garden,
Mary, but does it have to be growing under your bed?"
MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I
spent on
braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"
HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER: "Humpty, If I've told you once, I've
told you a
hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me?
Noooo!"
COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered,
Christopher. You
still could have written!"
BABE RUTH'S MOTHER: "Babe, how many times have I told you --
quit playing
ball in the house! That's the third broken window this week!"
MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Mike, can't you paint on walls like
other
children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff
off the
ceiling?"
NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, Napoleon. If you aren't
hiding your report
card inside your jacket, then take your hand out of there and
prove it!"
CUSTER'S MOTHER: "Now, George, remember what I told you --
don't go
biting off more than you can chew!"
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe?
Can't you
just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"
BARNEY'S MOTHER: "I realize strained plums are your favorite,
Barney, but
you're starting to look a little purple."
MARY'S MOTHER: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to
school,
Mary, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you."
BATMAN'S MOTHER: "It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize
how much the
insurance is going to be?"
GOLDILOCKS' MOTHER: "I've got a bill here for a busted chair
from the
Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?"
LITTLE MISS MUFFET'S MOTHER: "Well, all I've got to say is
if you don't
get off your tuffet and start cleaning your room, there'll be a
lot more
spiders around here!"
ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But, Albert, it's your senior
picture. Can't
you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you
throwing money
across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"
JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story, but now tell me where
you've really
been for the last three days."
SUPERMAN'S MOTHER: "Clark, your father and I have discussed
it, and we've
decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit
spending
so much time in all those phone booths?"
THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you
invented the
electric light bulb, Thomas. Now turn off that light and get to
bed!"
September 2002
Quote of the Month: The difference between a smart person and a wise one is that a smart person knows what to say, but a wise persons knows whether or not to say it.
Thought: Mother's Week
When you came into the world,
she held you in her arms. You thanked her by wailing like a
banshee.
When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you. You
thanked her by crying all night long.
When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk. You
thanked her by running away when she called.
When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love.
You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.
When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons. You thanked
her by coloring the dining room table.
When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays.
You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud
When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school. You
thanked her by screaming, "I'M NOT GOING!"
When you were 7 years old, she bought you a baseball. You
thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbor's
window.
When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream. You
thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons. You
thanked her by never even bothering to practice.
When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from
soccer to gymnastics to one birthday party after another.You
thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the
movies. You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.
When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain
TV shows. You thanked her by waiting until she left the
house.
Those Teenage Years
When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming.
You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.
When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.
You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug.
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car. You
thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
When you were 17, she was expecting an important call. You
thanked her by being on the phone all night.
When you were 18, she cried at your high school graduation.
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
Growing Old and Gray
When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to
campus, carried your bags. You thanked her by saying good-bye
outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your
friends.
When you were 20, she asked whether you were seeing anyone.
You thanked her by saying, "It's none of your business."
When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future.
You thanked her by saying, "I don't want to be like you."
When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation.
You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to
Europe.
When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment.
You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
When you were 24, she met your fiancee and asked about your plans
for the future. You thanked her by glaring and growling,
"Muuhh-ther, please!"
When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she
cried and told you how deeply she loved you. You thanked
her by moving halfway across the country.
When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby.
You thanked her by telling her, "Things are different now."
When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's
birthday. You thanked her by saying you were "really
busy right now."
When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her.
You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to
their children.
And then, one day, she quietly died.
And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder.
"The hand who rocks the cradle ... may rock the world".
Take a moment of the time just to pay tribute and show
appreciation to your mother. Though some may not say it
openly to their mother, there's no substitute for her. Cherish
every single moment. Though at times she may not be your best of
friend, may not agree to your thoughts, she is still your mother!!!
She will be there for you ... to listen to your woes, your
braggings, your frustrations, etc. Ask yourself ... have you put
aside enough time for her, to listen to her "blues" of
working in the kitchen, her tiredness???
Be tactful, loving, and still show her due respect though you may
have a different view from hers. Once gone, only fond memories of
the past and also regrets will be left.
--unknown
"Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish
children despise their mother." Proverbs 15:20 NLT
Story: A.S.A.P.
(Always Say A Prayer)
There's work to do, deadlines to meet,
You've got no time to spare,
but as you hurry and scurry,
Always say a prayer
In the midst of family chaos,
"quality time" is rare.
Do your best, let God do the rest.
Always say a prayer
It may seen like your worries
are more than you can bear,
slow down and take a breather
Always say a prayer
God knows how stressful life is
He wants to ease our cares,
and He'll respond A.S.A.P.
Always Say A Prayer
- Author Unknown
Joke:
A little girl was observed by
her pastor standing outside the pre-school
Sunday School classroom between Sunday School and worship,
waiting for her
parents to come and pick her up for "big church." The
pastor noticed that
she clutched a big storybook under her arms with the obvious
title, "Jonah
and the Whale."
Feeling a little pernicious, he knelt down beside the little girl
and began
a conversation. "What's that you have in your hand?",
he asked.
"This is my storybook about Jonah and the Whale," she
answered.
"Tell me something, little girl," he continued, "do
you believe that story
about Jonah and that whale to be the truth?"
The little girl implored, "Why of course I believe this
story to be the
truth!"
He inquired further, "You really believe that a man can be
swallowed up by a
big whale, stay inside him all that time, and come out of there
still alive
and OK? You really believe all that can be true?"
She declared, "Absolutely, this story is in the Bible and we
studied about
it in Sunday School today!"
Then the pastor asked, "Well, little girl, can you prove to
me that this
story is the truth?"
She thought for a moment and then said, "Well, when I get to
Heaven, I'll
ask Jonah."
The pastor then asked, "Well, what if Jonah's not in Heaven?"
She then put her hands on her little hips and sternly declared,
"Then YOU
can ask him!"
Meditation:
Many people will walk in and out
of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart...
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart...
Anger is only one letter short of danger...
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault...
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people...
He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all...
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art...
Learn from the mistakes of others...
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself...
Friends, you and me......
You brought another friend......
And then there were 3......
We started our group......
Our circle of friends......
And like that circle......
There is no beginning or end......
Yesterday is history...
Tomorrow is mystery...
Today is a gift...
- by Eleanor Roosevelt
August 2001
Quote of the Month: Some people make the future; most wait for the future to make them.
Thought: Life is
Life is a challenge - meet it.
Life is a gift - accept it.
Life is an adventure - dare it.
Life is a sorrow - overcome it.
Life is a tragedy - face it.
Life is a duty - perform it.
Life is a game - play it.
Life is a mystery - unfold it.
Life is a song - sing it.
Life is an opportunity - take it.
Life is a journey - complete it.
Life is a promise - fulfill it.
Life is a beauty - praise it.
Life is a struggle - fight it.
Life is a goal - achieve it.
Life is a puzzle - solve it.
Life is eternal - believe it.
Story:
An elderly lady was well known
for her faith and for her Boldness in talking about it.
She would stand on her front Porch and shout PRAISE THE LORD!
Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at Her
proclamations he would shout, "There ain't no Lord!!"
Hard times set in on the elderly lady and she prayed for GOD to send her some assistance.. She stood on her porch and Shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD.. GOD I NEED FOOD!! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!"
The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a Large bag of groceries and shouted, "Praise the Lord."
The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Ha..Ha. I Told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries. God didn't."
The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and Saying, "Praise the Lord, He not only sent me groceries but HE made The devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!"
Meditation: It is not easy to know how much faith you have unless you face a problem. Our faith is motivated by LOVE, the love from the Almighty God. Faith grows by practice, and the understanding of God's Word and His promises. Also faith need action. This is the positive nature of Christian, and we Act.
July 2001
Quote of the Month: We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert H. Shaffer
Thought: The more you read, the more you know; The more you know, the further you go.
Meditation: Knowledge is Power if you are able to use it. Experience helps to improve our knowledge. Depending only on knowledge and experience will never have a breakthrough as you will be in such circle.
June 2001
Quote of the Month: To me, faith is not just a noun but also a verb. -Jimmy Carter
Thought:
God has always used ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary mission. Brenda was a young woman that wanted to learn to go rock climbing. So although she was scared to death, she went with a group and they faced this tremendous cliff of rock, practically perpendicular. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear and she took a hold of the rope and she started up the face of that rock. At last she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, whoever was holding the rope up at the top of the cliff made a mistake and snapped the rope. They pulled it too suddenly and jerked it in some way so that the rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.
Well, here she is on a rock ledge with who knows how many hundreds of feet behind and HUNDREDS of feet above her! She looked and looked hoping that she would be able to find that contact lens. Here she was, very far from home. Her sight was now blurry. She was very upset by the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near a place where she could get a new lens. She prayed hard that the Lord would help her to find it.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye. There was no contact lens to be found....so...she sat down waiting for the rest of them to come up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every single stone and leaf that's on those mountains and YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE MY CONTACT LENS IS."
Finally, the time came when it was time to go down. They walked down the trail to the bottom. Just as they got there, there was a new party of climbers coming along. As one of them started up the face of the cliff, one shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Did anybody lose a contact lens?"
That climber had found the contact lens! But you know why she saw it? AN ANT WAS CARRYING THAT LENS - she saw it moving SLOWLY across the face of the rock.
What does that tell you about the God of the universe? He's in charge of the tiniest things!!! Do ants matter to Him? Of course they do. He made them. He designed them. Brenda's father is a cartoonist so when she told him this incredible story, he drew a picture of that ant lugging that contact lens with this caption...." "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!" This is a true story... If God is in charge of the ants, don't you think He cares about you and me? - unknown to me
Meditation: When we encounter difficulties or troubles, we will ask why and where, "Why it happened to me?", or "Where is the God?", especially for Christians. What we need now is faith, we should trust our Lord that anything happen to me is not a coincidence, but a blessing to me. Only time can tell what we have learnt from these blessings.
May 2001
Quote of the Month: I have always felt that the moment when first you wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the 24 hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen.
Thought:
There are two days in every week about which we should not worry. Two days that should be kept free from any fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its aches and pains, its faults and blunders. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said; we cannot rectify a single mistake. Yesterday has passed forever beyond recall. Let it go.
The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise, and poor performance. Tomorrow also is beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mass of clouds, but it will rise. And until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, because it is as yet unborn.
That leaves us but one day - Today! And a person can fight the battles of just one day.
Yesterday and Tomorrow are futile worries. Let us, therefore, resolve to journey no more than one day at a time.
Meditation: Life is a journey, but you don't know when it stops. But what we can do is to make it shines now. Whether it will stop tomorrow, or next minute, you shall give thank to the present as you are still alive. Treasure the gift, and enjoy it now.
April 2001
Quote of the Month: It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear.
Thought:
To dream anything that you want to dream ? that is the beauty of the human mind.
To do anything you want to do ? that is the strength of the human will.
To trust yourself to test your limits ? that is the courage to succeed.
Meditation: It needs courage to accept another person to tell "you are wrong". It is more important that I learnt from my mistakes. A mistake will be a mistake if you have not learnt anything from it.
April 2001
Quote of the Month: The essence of our being is love. Love cannot be hindered by what is merely physical. Therefore, we believe the mind has no limits; nothing is impossible; and all disease is potentially reversible. And because love is eternal, death need not be viewed fearfully. - Gerald G. Jampolsky, MD, Teach Only Love
Thought: Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.--Sydney J. Harris
Meditation: People usually react by their own experience. They will say, "Nonsense" if they never heard about before. Some people even respond too quickly that there even a second to think. The Bible says, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" Slow to speak, and be patient to hear. The biggest problem with patient is it takes too much time !!!
March 2001
Quote of the Month: Not all birds can fly. What separates the flyers from the walkers is the ability to take off. - Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996)
Thought: U The "U" in JesUs Before U were thought of or time had begun, God even stuck U in the name of His Son. And each time U pray, you'll see it's true You can't spell out JesUs and not include U. You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name, For U, He was born; that's why He came. And His great love for U is the reason He died. It even takes U to spell crUcified. Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand He rose from the dead, with U in His plan. The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew, and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U. When Jesus left earth at His upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention. Go into the world and tell them it's true That I love them all - Just like I love U. So many great people are spelled with a U, Don't they have a right to know Jesus too? It all depends now on what U will do, He'd like them to know, but it all starts with U.
Meditation: Worry is the worst killer of Man. It is invisible, and can be around at anytime. There is no physical medicine that can completely cure it. The best method I have is to set yourself free by Jesus. Unload all burdens to this Almighty one, and let Him care for you. The only thing I need to do is try my best !!! Rejoice always.
February 2001
Quote of the Month: A problem well stated is a problem half solved - Charles Kettering.
Thought: Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally or spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems.
Meditation: Jesus is patient and has a great personal love on us. He stopped by and talked with people without a hurry. He touched the people with heart. On the other hand, are we patient to Him ? Have we stayed with Him and talk to Him ?
January 2001
Quote of the Month: I've never learned anything while I was talking. - Larry King
Thought:
In ancient times a king decided to find and honor the greatest person among his subjects. A man of wealth and property was singled out. Another was praised for his healing powers; another for his wisdom and knowledge of the law. Still another was lauded for his business acumen. Many other successful people were brought back to the palace, and it became evident that the task of choosing the greatest would be difficult.
Finally, the last candidate stood before the king. It was a woman. Her hair was white. Her eyes shown with the light of knowledge, understanding, and love.
"Who is this?" asked the king. "What has she done?"
"You have seen and heard all the others," said the king's aide. "This is their teacher."
The people applauded and the king came down from his throne to honor her.
Meditation: What has wisdom ? Who is clever ? Knowledge is power ? One is wise if he has already selected the most enjoyable life for himself. It need not be the way that others enjoy, but it will be the life that he will be happy with. However, nobody is an island. His decision will affect other people around him.
