Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.



During my second month of college, our professor

Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious studentAnd had breezed through the questions until I read

The last one:


"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the

Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,

Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?


I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

The last question would count toward our quiz grade.



"Absolutely, " said the professor.. "In your careers,

You will meet many people. All are significant.. They

Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

Is smile and say "hello.."

I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her

Name was Dorothy.



2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain


One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American

Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway

Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had

Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally

Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man

Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and

Put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his

Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a

Knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a

Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A

Special note was attached.

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway

The other night. The rain drenched not only my

Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.

Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God

Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving

Others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.



3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those

Who serve.


In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,

A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and

Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in

Front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and

Studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the

Waitress was growing impatient..

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.



The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on

The table and walked away The boy finished the ice

Cream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitress

Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the

Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

Were two nickels and five pennies..


You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had

To have enough left to leave her a tip.



4 - Fourth Important Lesson.. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a

Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if

Anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the

King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by

And simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed the

King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did

Anything about getting the stone out of the way.



Then a peasant came along carrying a load of

Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the

peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the

stone to the side of the road. After much pushing

and straining, he finally succeeded. After the

peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed

a purse lying in the road where the boulder had

been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note

from the King indicating that the gold was for the

person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The

peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve

our condition.



5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a

hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who

was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only

chance of recovery appeared to be a blood

transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had

miraculously survived the same disease and had

developed the antibodies needed to combat the

illness. The doctor explained the situation to her

little brother, and asked the little boy if he would

be willing to give his blood to his sister.


I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a

deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save

her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed

next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing

the color returning to her cheek. Then his face

grew pale and his smile faded.


He looked up at the doctor and asked with a

trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the

doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his

sister all of his blood in order to save her.



Now you have choices.

1 Delete this email, or

2. Forward it other people.

I hope that you will choose No. 2 and remember.



Most importantly.... Live with no regrets, Treat people the way you want to be treated, Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, and Dance like you do when nobody's watching.

Daddy's Poem

Daddy's Poem


Her hair was up in a pony tail,

her favorite dress tied with a bow.

Today was Daddy's Day at school,

and she couldn't wait to go.



But her mommy tried to tell her,

that she probably should stay home

Why the kids might not understand,

if she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;

she knew just what to say.

What to tell her classmates

of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,

for her to face this day alone.

And that was why once again,

she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school

eager to tell them all.

About a dad she never sees a dad

who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in

back, for everyone to meet.

Children squirming impatiently,

anxious in their seats

One by one the teacher called

a student from the class.

To introduce their daddy,

as seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name,

every child turned to stare.

Each of them was searching,

a man who wasn't there.

"Where's her daddy at?"

She heard a boy call out.

"She probably doesn't have one,"

another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,

she heard a daddy say,

"Looks like another deadbeat dad,

too busy to waste his day."




The words did not offend her,

as she smiled up at her Mom.

And looked back at her teacher, who

told her to go on..

And with hands behind her back,

slowly she began to speak.

And out from the mouth of a child,

came words incredibly unique.




"My Daddy couldn't be here,

because he lives so far away.

But I know he wishes he could be,

since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,

I wanted you to know.

All about my daddy,

and how much he loves me so.




He loved to tell me stories

he taught me to ride my bike.

He surprised me with pink roses,

and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,

and ice cream in a cone.

And though you cannot see him.

I'm not standing here alone.




"Cause my daddy's always with me,

even though we are apart

I know because he told me,

he'll forever be in my heart"




With that, her little hand reached up,

and lay across her chest.

Feeling her own heartbeat,

beneath her favorite dress..




And from somewhere there in the crowd of dads,

her mother stood in tears.

Proudly watching her daughter,

who was wise beyond her years.


For she stood up for the love

of a man not in her life.

Doing what was best for her,

doing what was a right.

And when she dropped her hand back

down, staring straight into the crowd..

She finished with a voice so soft,

but its message clear and loud.

"I love my daddy very much,

he's my shining star.

And if he could, he'd be here,

but heaven's just too far.




You see he is an American Soldier

and died just this past year.

When a roadside bomb hit his convoy and

taught Americans to fear.


But sometimes when I close my eyes,

it's like he never went away."

And then she closed her eyes,

and saw him there that day..


And to her mother's amazement,

she witnessed with surprise.

A room full of daddies and children,

all starting to close their eyes.




Who knows what they saw before them,

who knows what they felt inside.

Perhaps for merely a second,

they saw him at her side.




"I know you're with me Daddy,"

to the silence she called out.

And what happened next made believers,

of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,

for each of their eyes had been closed.

But there on the desk beside her,

was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.




And a child was blessed, if only for

a moment, by the love of her shining star.

And given the gift of believing,

that heaven is never too far.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person,

an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them,

but then an entire life to forget them.


Until eternity..




God Bless




There must be many children in the same boat as this little girl,

thanks to our servicemen and their families for the sacrifice they are making to keep our country Free

America

Kids can just figure it out in a heartbeat....why can't we? I thought this was pretty good. God bless!!! Don't Quit!!!!

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl.
She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country.

Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together.
This will show you our whole country today...'




After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together.

The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly.. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus.
When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged,
Then our country just came together.'




Sooo........ When we get Jesus back where He Belongs--
Our country will come together.

Where is God

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, are excessively mischievous.

They are always getting into trouble and their parents know if any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually.

The mother sent the 8 year old in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon. The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?"

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.
So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?! Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE is GOD?!"

The boy screamed & bolted from the room, ran directly home & dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time!" "GOD is missing, and they think WE did it!"

Paper Clip Hugs

Paper Clip Hugs

Georgia, was trying to raise her two sons when the Gulf War broke out. She heard about soldiers in the service who had no family and needed pen pals. Letters addressed to "Any Soldier" were distributed by commanding officers who noticed any soldiers getting little or no mail. Georgia wrote to 25 such soldiers almost daily, most of them men. Keeping up with 25 pen pals on a daily basis almost consumed Georgia's time and talents. She sent poems, little stories, and words of hope and encouragement. When there were time constraints, she would write one letter and copy it for everyone. Greetings were sent whenever she knew about a special event, like a birthday.

One day, Georgia received a letter from a soldier that was depressed and discouraged. She pondered as to how she could help lift his spirits. It was then that she noticed that at work there were paper clips of various colors. Georgia took one of the yellow paper clips and photo copied it in the palm of her hand. She sent a picture with the paper clip with the following message:

"This yellow paper clip that you see in my hand represents a hug that I am sending to you. You can carry this paper clip in a pocket or anywhere, and whenever you feel down, you can just touch and hold it and know that somebody cares about you, and would give you a hug if she were there." Georgia sent a copy of this picture along with a paper clip and the message to each of her other correspondents. After the war ended, Georgia received one of the pictures of her hand holding the yellow paper clip, and on the back were over 150 signatures of people that had been given her "hug". During the years, Georgia named other paper clips. Pink came to mean a kiss, green was for good luck, and so on.

Years later, Georgia was giving a class as part of a seminar for positive thinking. She shared with the members of the class her paper clip symbolism, and made a bracelet of multicolored paper clips for each of them. One of the women exclaimed "So you're the one!" The class member told Georgia that she was visiting her brother and needed something to hold papers together. She had noticed a yellow paper clip on the refrigerator held there with a magnet. She borrowed the paper clip for her papers. When the brother saw it, he grabbed it and scolded her, and told her never to touch the yellow paper clip again. Now she knew why. No one will ever know how far her message has spread, nor how many lives have been touched by a simple yellow paper clip.

Author Unknown
Taken from "Deerlake"

Dear God

Dear God

A Nun asked her young class to write notes to God. Here were some of the notes they handed in:

Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool.

Dear God, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you have.

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not have killed each other so much if they had their own rooms. That's what my Mom did for me and my brother.

Dear God, If you watch me in church on Sunday, I'll show you my new shoes.

Dear God, I bet it is hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I am having a hard time loving all of them.


Dear God, Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he keeps using those bowling ball words in the house?

Dear God, Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?

Dear God, Who draws the lines around the countries?

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is this okay?

Dear God, Do you really mean "Do unto others as they do unto you"? Because if you did, I am going to get my brother good.

Dear God, Thank you for my baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.

Dear God, Please send me a pony, I never asked for anything before, you can look it up.

Dear God, I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big, but with not so much hair all over.

Dear God, You don't have to worry about me, I always look both ways.

Dear God, I think about you sometimes even when I am not praying.

Dear God, Of all the people who work for you, I like Noah and David best.

Dear God, My brother told me about being born, but it doesn't sound right. They're just kidding, aren't they?

Thomas Edison made light, but in Sunday School they said you did. So I bet he stole your idea.

The Holy Alphabet

The Holy Alphabet... This is Beautiful



Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but....
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be with you forever, Amen.

God's Cake

God's Cake
This is about the best thing I've ever read as an explanation. We all wonder many, many, many times over WHY?







Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! "

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

If you like this, send this on to the people you really care about.
I JUST DID :~)
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance

Daily Devotional

Daily Devotional


The Truth
If my life was a credit report and I was trying to obtain salvation,
based on my score I wouldn't get it.

My history shows that I've been delinquent in praise, past due in
prayer, my worship has been in collections and I've missed a few
payments (tithes) or only paid half (you know how we put $20 in the
basket and feel like we've done God a favor).

Not to mention that my debt (sin) to income (blessings) ratio is too
high..

BUT I thank God that I was able to file bankruptcy (repentance) and it
cleared me of all of my debt (sin). Now I have a co-signer (Jesus) whose
score is FLAWLESS... Not one blemish (sin) on his report.

So now...... I QUALIFY for EVERYTHING! Most importantly, I've inherited
eternal life and I didn't have to put one penny down.

All of my closing costs were covered when Jesus laid down His life for
me!!!! I hear that my future home has all of the upgrades too.

Hardwood floors? Please! I'll be walking on gold!

Thank You Lord for Your unmerited mercy, grace & favor!!
Amen

The preachers Son

An old
Country preacher......
had
A teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some
Thought to choosing a profession. Like many young Men his Age, the
boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he Didn't seem too
concerned about it. One day, while the boy Was away at school, his
father decided to try an experiment. He Went into the boy's room and
placed on his study table four Objects.

1.
A
Bible.....?


2.
A silver
Dollar.....?

3.
A bottle of
Whisky.....?

4. And a Playboy
Magazine.....?

'I'll just hide behind the Door,' the old preacher said to himself.
'When he comes home From school today, I'll see which object he
picks Up.

If it's the Bible, he's Going to be a preacher like me, and what a
Blessing that would Be!

If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that
would be okay, Too.

But if he picks up the Bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken
bum, and Lord, what a Shame that would be.

And worst of all if he Picks up that magazine he's going to be
aSkirt-chasing Womanizer.'
The old man waited Anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot-steps as
he entered the House whistling and headed for his Room..

The boy tossed his books on
The bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the Objects on
the table..
With curiosity in his eye, He walked over to inspect them. Finally,
he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up The
silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle
and took a big drink, while he admired This month's centerfold.
'Lord have mercy,' the old Preacher disgustedly
Whispered.
'He's Gonna run for Congress.'

Burnt Biscuits

~ Burnt Biscuits ~


When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.
And I remember one night in particular when she made breakfast instead of dinner after a long, hard day at work.
On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
You know, life is full of imperfect things ... and imperfect people . I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
That's my prayer for you today . . . That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the difficult parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burned biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!
"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own." So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine! And please pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did. Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.

a new version of the poem called footprints

This new version of the 'footprints' story really caught me off-guard at the end....What a blessing.
Just Read It!

FOOTPRINTS...A New Version

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.

But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling, His consistently...

You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.

Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one..

This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.

Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints.. They have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.

You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray: 'Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You.'

'That is correct.'
'And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely..'

'Very good.. You have understood everything so far..' When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way.'

'Precisely.'
'So, Lord, was there a regression or something ? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first.'

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.

'You didn't know? It was then that we danced!'


To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

EAT LOTS OF SWEET POTATOES

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three ( 3 ) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 2 3 % sodium and these foods are 2 3 % sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

5 Finger Prayer

This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray enough for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, 'The least shall be the greatest among you.' Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Different poem of Mary Had a little LAmb

Happy 21st Anniversary to my Husband

Today marks 21 years of our life together. We have been truly blessed in 21 years.
We have been blessed with 6 kids, And a great life together, we have come a long ways in 21 years we have had are differences , had our ups and downs (but we have had more ups then downs). God has blessed me with a wonderful Christian husband , who is there for me when I am sad, Sick , or just need a hug. My husband has always been there for me no matter what.

I am looking forward to many more years with my husband,This past year I have fell in love with my husband all over again I have fell more in love with him this year them in the other years. I don't ever want to lose him. He is my life.

Happy 21st Anniversary to the greatest husband in the world.

I found 2 poems that i really like and I want to share them with you. (these are how I feel toward my husband)

POEM 1
I promise you my love forever

Theres so many things that I love about you
I could name so many things you continue to do
You always stand by my side and show you care
Good times and bad you're always there.

In sad times you always manage to make me smile
The way you promise we'll be together to walk down the aisle
I love the moment we look into each others eyes
A love so beautiful I have invisible happy cries

I love the way we both know that we belong
Through tough times we've proven to always be strong
The warmth of your hug when you hold me tight
In bad times you promise everything will be alright

I love it when you tell me we'll always be forever
I know now and all our days we'll face everything together
Times that are hard and my eyes start to cry
Your hand is always there to wipe them dry

I love spending my days with you, they are so much fun
Together on rainy days and under the glowing sun
I love seeing you in the day and dreaming of you at night
I keep every memory with me and you're never out of my sight

I love your gentle touch and your words that are sweet
Every time I'm with you my heart still skips a beat
I love it when you know I feel sad
You will do anything just to make me glad.

No one in this lifetime can understand the way I feel
Mornings I wake up sometimes still wondering if this is all real
Your love and comfort is what I'll forever need
You're not only a boyfriend but my soul mate indeed.

I love the way its taken us ages to find
The most divine love between us, for I call you mine
Every single day is better because you have brightened my life
I hope to one day have the privilege of becoming your wife

I respect each word you say that comes out of your heart
I promise you that nothing can tear us apart
I love the way you've taken away all my pain
And still to this day your love keeps me sane

I love the feeling I get when I hear your name
I know that when I say I love you, you feel the same
I cherish you so much and thank God I found you
I promise to my everyone and to your love I'll always be true

POEM 2


My Promise

In a world where
Dreams don't come true
God performed a miracle
And sent me you
And God will be an
Everyday part of our lives
So our love will become
Stronger and forever strive

I promise to stand beside you
Forever and always
But God will come before anyone
Or anything for all our days
God will be our leader, guide
Comforter, our all and all
He will bind our love forever
Together for all our days
So it may never fail

If we do God's divine will
And do as He says to do
He will bind our marriage
Together forever and see us thru
Though we may never
Have many earthly treasures
What matters is God's count
And what He measures

But I promise to do my all
My very best to take care of you
To stand beside you through thick or
Thin and see this marriage thru
But no matter what Satan does
Or tries to throw our way
I promise to love you forever
The way I do today.

Attitude

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood
and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how
he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'



He was a natural motivator.



If an employee was having a bad day, John 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 and asked
him, 'I don't get it!'



'You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'
He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose
to be in a bad mood



I choose to be in a good mood.'




Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or..I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.




Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the
positive side of life..




'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.



'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all
the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.



You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your
choice how you live your life.'



I reflected on what he said.. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry
to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.




Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.


After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.



I saw him 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 I did ask him what had gone through his
mind as the accident took place.




'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I
remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or....I could
choose to die. I chose to live.'




'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.



He continued, '...the paramedics were great.



They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I
knew I needed to take action.'



'What did you do?' I asked.



'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John.
'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors
and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep
breath and yelled, 'Gravity''



Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live.. Operate on me
as if I am alive, not dead.'



He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude....I learned from him that every day we have the choice
to live fully.



Attitude, after all, is everything.



Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34

Have a safe Labor Day

Have a safe Day.

Labor Day in America
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Labor Day is a legal holiday in the U.S.A. It is celebrated the first Monday in September. It is a day for the nation to honor its workers.

Today, Labor Day is a family holiday. It is the last big weekend of summer. Many people pack picnic lunches. They go to the beach, the lake, or the mountains. Others invite friends over for a barbecue. Some towns hold Labor Day parades. Politicians may give speeches.

But the first Labor Day celebration in the United States was not about family or fun. Instead, it was about making life better for America�s working class.

Back then, workers were not always treated well. Hundreds of new immigrants arrived in the country every day. Most spent all their money getting to America. By the time they arrived, they would take any job they could find.

Factory owners often took advantage of the situation. They paid workers little, but expected them to work 12-, 14-, even 16-hour days. What�s more, jobs were often dangerous. Even children worked in situations where a mistake could mean death.

Peter McGuire was 11 years old when he took his first factory job. His father had left home to fight in the Civil War. His mother needed money to support the family. Young Peter did what he could to keep food on the table. But as he grew into an adult, he resolved to improve working conditions in America�s factories.

Peter believed that workers needed to unite. So he became a labor union leader. Along with organizing workers, McQuire called for a celebration honoring the working man. In 1882, the Knights of Labor organized America�s first Labor Day parade. More than 10,000 workers took the day off work. They marched through the streets of New York City. They carried signs calling for shorter working days. They proposed a standard eight-hour day.

In the years that followed, more labor unions sprang up. They called for better pay and safer working conditions. They also asked the government to make Labor Day a national holiday. In 1894, Congress responded, and President Grover Cleveland signed the law giving America's workers their day.

Working conditions have improved over the past century. Child labor has been outlawed. Worker safety is now a priority. Laws restrict how many hours men and women can be required to work. Laws also now specify a minimum wage.

Labor unions still run television and newspaper advertisements around Labor Day. They encourage people to support America�s workers by buying American-made products. But for most of America�s workers, Labor Day is now just a day off work. It�s the final day of a three-day weekend and a time to have fun with friends and loved ones.

Countries the world have labor holidays, but not necesarily on the same day. Aside from the United States, only Canada observes Labor Day the first Monday of September. China, India and many European countries choose to honor worker on May 1, dubbed International Workers' Day. New Zealand celebrates Labour Day on the fourth Monday of October, while Australia allows states and territories to schedule their own observances.

10th year aniversary of 9/11

-

Please join us in this FLY THE FLAG campaign and PLEASE tell this to
your friends and family asking them to also do it. We have less than 6
days and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every
community in the United States of America .



THE PROGRAM:

On Sunday, September 11th, 2011, an American flag should be displayed outside
every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual
should make it their duty to display an American flag on this tenth anniversary
of one our country's worst tragedies.
We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families,
friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are
fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American
flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder
against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism
pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to
galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and
together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

Action Plan:

So, here's what we need you to do ....

(1) Forward this to everyone you know. Please don't
be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on
9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the
flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless America!

Hi Lord

Hi Lord

Simple but true..

Hi Lord, its me. We are getting older and things are getting bad here.
Gas prices are too high, no jobs, food and heating costs too high. I
know some have taken you out of our schools, government & even
Christmas, but Lord I'm asking you to come back and re-bless America .
We really need you!
There are more of us who want you than those who don't! Thank You Lord,
I Love you.

Good to know that God does the judging.

BEST POEM IN THE WORLD

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights, or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics, and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!


Now it's your turn... Share this poem.



Life without God is like an unsharpened Pencil.

It has no point.

The Brick

The Brick!!!
PLEASE
Read It.








Read this today and
don't delete it even if
you are too busy!! You'll
see..








THE BRICK


A young and successful
executive was traveling down a neighborhood street,
going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was
watching for kids darting out from between parked
cars and slowed down when he thought he saw
something.



As his car passed, no children appeared.
Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to
the spot where the brick had been thrown.



The angry
driver then jumped out of the
car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up
against a parked car shouting,




'What was that all about and who are you? Just what
the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that
brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.. Why
did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic.
'Please, mister....please, I'm sorry but I didn't
know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the
brick because no one else would stop...' With tears
dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth
pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my
brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell
out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him
up.'


Now sobbing, the boy
asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help
me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and
he's too heavy for me.'


Moved beyond words,
the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling
lump in his throat.. He hurriedly lifted the
handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took
out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh
scrapes and cuts.. A quick look told him everything
was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless
you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too
shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy!
push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk
toward their home..


It was a long, slow
walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very
noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair
the dented side door. He kept the dent there to
remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life
so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to
get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and
speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have
time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's
our choice to listen or
not.


Thought for the
Day:


If God had a
refrigerator, your picture would be on
it.



If He had a wallet,
your photo would be in
it.


He sends you flowers
every spring.



He sends you a sunrise
every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about
you!



God didn't promise
days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun
without rain, but He did promise strength for the
day, comfort for the tears, and light for the
way.




Read this line very
slowly and let it sink
in...


If God brings you to
it, He will bring you through
it.

The Bible or a Diamond Ring?

The Bible or a Diamond Ring?


A married lady was expecting a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had admired a beautiful diamond ring in a showroom, and knowing her husband could afford it, she told him that was all she wanted. As her birthday approached, this lady awaited signs that her husband had purchased the diamond ring.
Finally, on the morning of her birthday, her husband calledher into his study. Her husband told her how proud he was to have such a good wife, and told her how much he loved her.. He handed her a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, the wife opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the wife's name embossed in gold. Angrily, she raised her voice to her husband and said, 'With all your money you give me a Bible?'

She stormed out of the house, permanently leaving her husband. Many years passed and the lady was very successful in business. She managed to settle for a more beautiful house and a wonderful family, but realized her ex-husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to visit him. She had not seen him for many years.

But before she could make arrangements, she received a telegram telling her that her ex-husband had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to her. She needed to come back immediately and take care of things.

When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, sudden sadness and regret filled her heart. She began to search through her ex-husband's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as she had left it years before.

With tears, she opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. Her ex-husband had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11,
'And if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those who ask Him?'

As she read those words, a tiny package dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a diamond ring, with her name engraved on it -- the same diamond ring which she saw at the showroom.

On the tag was the date of her birth, and the words. 'LUV U ALWAYS'.

How many times do we miss God's blessings, because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others.

Do not spoil what you have, by desiring what you have not; but, remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.


We should ALL grow in the Word to improve and to better OURSELVES so that we can be used by God and be a blessing to others.


IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKAGED THE WAY YOU WANT IT,
IT'S BECAUSE IT MAY BE BETTER PACKAGED THE WAY IT IS.

ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO BIGGER and BETTER THINGS..

'The best and most beautiful things in the world sometimes cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.'

One of THE coolest Christian emails.

One of THE coolest Christian emails.

a story about Carl - a very good lesson to read about

Carl was a quiet man. He didn't talk much.
He would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake.


Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years,
no one could really say they knew him very well.


Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning.
The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us.


He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII.


Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII,
he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs, and drug activity.


When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.


He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened.


He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him.
Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked,
"Would you like a drink from the hose?"


The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little smile.


As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down.
As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled.


Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg.
He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him.


Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast enough to stop it.


"Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the minister kept asking as he helped Carl to his feet.


Carl just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head.
"Just some punk kids. I hope they'll wise-up someday."


His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose.
He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water.


Confused and a little concerned, the minister asked, "Carl, what are you doing?"
"I've got to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.



Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could only marvel.
Carl was a man from a different time and place.


A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged.
Carl again offered them a drink from his hose.


This time they didn't rob him.
They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water.


When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done.


Carl just watched them.
Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.


The summer was quickly fading into fall Carl was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him.
He stumbled and fell into some evergreen branches.


As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack.


"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time."



The young man spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he helped Carl get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Carl.


"What's this?"
Carl asked. "It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back.
Even the money in your wallet." "I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?"


The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you we picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it But every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate."


He stopped for a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back."


He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street.


Carl looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all those years ago.


He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather.


In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church.


The minister spoke of Carl's garden as a lesson in life.



In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Carl and his garden."


The following spring another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Carl's garden."


The flyer went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at the minister's office door.


Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the young man said.



The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl.


He knew that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him."


The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Carl had done.


During that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Carl's memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it.


One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, "My wife just had a baby boy last night, and she's bringing him home on Saturday."


"Well, congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys. "That's wonderful! What's the baby's name?"

"Carl," he replied.


That's the whole gospel message simply stated.





GOOD FRIENDS
ARE LIKE ANGELS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM TO KNOW THEY ARE THERE

Think twice before you quite

Here is an email that I received and I have to say that it is nothing less
than impressionable considering the present state of many marriages today.
I don’t know from where this originated but it has a very powerful
message. If you’ve ever considered letting go of your marriage, then this
just may cause you to keep holding on….for the right reasons.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and
said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again
I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know
what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks
and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each
other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to
our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had
lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated
that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent
ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her
wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had
said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me,
which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of
release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks
seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something
at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell
asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not
care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want
anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She
requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life
as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s
time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to
recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of
our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy.
Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and
thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face
the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both
appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his
arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the
sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my
arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the
divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside
the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my
chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t
looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not
young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was
graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered
what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy
returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was
growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry
her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me
stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few
dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses
have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that
was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her
heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out.
To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential
part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged
him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my
mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the
bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my
neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our
wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her
in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held
her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the
door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked
upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not
want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a
fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I
won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I
didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each
other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our
wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed
the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife.
The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll
carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I
run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to
even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me
from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru
with the divorce.– At least, in the eyes of our son— I’m a loving
husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship.
It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These
create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in
themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little
things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were
to success when they gave up.

A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.

So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has
joined together, let not man separate. Matthew 19:6

*Because I always want to give credit to an author of a work, I found the
original author after posting – Stephanie Hamilton Brown.

Just stay

Just Stay

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.


Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.


The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.


Along towards dawn, the old man died The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.


Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.


"Who was that man?" he asked.



The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.



"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."


"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"


"I knew right away there had been a mistake,

but I also knew he needed his son, and his
son just wasn't here.



When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.

His son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?



The Nurse with Tears in

Her Eyes Answered,

Mr. William Grey.............





The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.



**************

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.


WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

(love this line)

Why would God want ME?

Why would God want ME?
~Author Unknown~


I'm not perfect. I have all kinds of problems. I have no ability. I have no
gifts. I'm just not worthy. Why would God want me?

Well, did you know that....

Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn't fit.
John Mark deserted Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair.
Solomon was too rich.
Jesus was too poor.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
John was self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow.
Paul was a persecutor of the church.
Moses was a murderer.
Jonah ran from God's will.
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Elijah was burned out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha was a worry-wart.
Noah got drunk.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.

But God doesn't require a job interview for salvation. He's our Heavenly
Father. He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or
partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not
blind to our need. He knows who we are and what we are and loves us in
spite of ourselves

SATAN SAYS, "YOU'RE NOT WORTHY."
JESUS SAYS, "SO WHAT? I AM."
SATAN LOOKS BACK AND SEES OUR MISTAKES.
GOD LOOKS BACK AND SEES THE CROSS.

He doesn't calculate how you failed. It's not even on the record.
Sure, there are lots of reasons why God shouldn't call us. But if we are in
love with Him, if we hunger for Him, He'll use us in spite of who we are,
where we've been, what we have done, or the fact that we are not
perfect!

"Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over,

A preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over,
please come forward to the front by the altar."



With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the Preacher asked,
"Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?"



Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."



The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other
hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He
prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and the whole congregation joined in with
great enthusiasm.





After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked,
"Leroy, how is your hearing now?"



Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."

A Keeper

Keeper






Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers.. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away ...never to return. So ..While we have it ...its best we love it ... And care for it .... And fix it when it's broken ... And heal it when it's sick.

This is true ...For marriage ... And old cars ... And children with bad report cards ... Dogs and cats with bad hips ... And aging parents ... And grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and friends. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special .. And so, we keep them close in heart and mind and spirit.


Good friends are like stars ... you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

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