everything forward

When you soar like an eagle, you attract hunters ...

2010-02-22T19:21:00.000+08:00

When people are unreasonable, illogical, self-centered and arrogant,
love them anyway.

When people insist that your goodness contains selfish ulterior motives,
do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win both friends and enemies. People may become jealous of you. Succeed anyway.

If you are honoest and frank, you will be both honorable and vulnerable.
Some will seek to twist your words againts you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

If you do good today, some may forget about it by tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

If you show yourself to be a big person with great ideas, don't be surprised if you are
opposed by small people with closed minds.
Think big anyway.

What you have spent years building, some may seek to destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

Mark Twain once said, "Always do right. This will gratify most people, and astonish the rest!"

"GOODNIGHT KISS"

2010-02-15T15:52:00.000+08:00

I count it as a privilege, I count it cause for praise

To kiss my children goodnight at the close of everyday.

For I know too soon they're up and gone, and walking out the door

And I'll never have a child to kiss goodnight any more.

It's very strange how times have changed from the present to the past.

When did they grow so quickly the time has flown so fast.

For it seems like only yesterday I helped him with his shirt,
Or pat my baby on the back, or kissed away a hurt.

Tell a story, read a book, wipe a nose, or tie a shoe.
They never ask me to rub their backs the way they used to do.

Once it was a bother, just a troublesome kind of chore.
But now I would give anything to do it just once more.

Mommy, bounce me on your knee, Daddy, flip me in the air.
Throw a rubber ball to me and help me comb my hair.

Mommy, tickle my tummy... Daddy hold me high.
Lets go outside, for a while, or make a kite to fly...

I count it as a privilege I count it cause for praise

To kiss my children goodnight at the close of everyday.

For I know too soon they're up and gone and walking out the door

And I'll never have a child to kiss goodnight anymore!

--Author Unknown

2008-03-03T19:31:00.001+08:00

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark

One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

2008-02-24T02:43:00.003+08:00

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside, she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Dye it. You know, her hair. I'd dye it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Differences between Men and Women

2007-07-06T15:04:00.001+08:00

1.NAMES
If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara
If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

2.EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in a $20 , even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the women get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

3.MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need, but it's on sale.

4.BATHROOMS
A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Marriott.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

5.ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that... Is the beginning of a new argument.

6.CATS
Women love cats.
Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

7.FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

8.SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

9.MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

10.DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

11.NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

12.OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

13.THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

Some Wise Words

2007-07-06T13:51:00.000+08:00

ONE.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.
When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE.
When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life
completely.

TEN.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN.
Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..

FIFTEEN.
Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE.
Spend some time alone.

2007-02-28T16:28:00.000+08:00

The Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone ofvoice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back inthe same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

" I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago .

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly."And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and elevencents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. "He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place."That surgery," her Mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

Glad I'm above 30!

2006-09-04T23:12:00.000+08:00

THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY A MAN. This is for all you girls 30 years and over...and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's...AND for guys who are scared of girls over 30!!!! Written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes: As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think. If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting. A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing. Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it. Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated. A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know. A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her. Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old. And my personal favorite! Ladies, I apologize for all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

10 Rules For A Happy Day

2006-08-27T04:17:00.000+08:00

1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind...

I will not respond in a like manner.

2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly,

I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual.

I understand the "enemy" could be a family member,

neighbor, co-worker or stranger.

3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words

being certain that I do not spread gossip.

4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE,

BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS

THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule -

"Do unto others as I would have them do unto me"

- with everyone I encounter.

8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS

OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support,

can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD for my body.

10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading

something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place

(at some point during this day) and listen to GOD's voice!!!

Inspiring text messages I received - Part 1

2006-08-21T17:46:00.000+08:00

Blessings always look small if we hold them in our hands.

But if we learn to share them,

We realize how great and precious they are!

Avoid the three enemies of personal peace:

regret over yesterdays mistakes;

anxiety over tomorrows problems;

and ingratitude for todays blessings.

To those who see with loving eyes,

Life is beautiful.

To those who speak with a tender voice,

Life is peaceful.

To those who help with gentle hands,

Life is full.

And to those who care with compassionate hearts,

Life is good beyond all measure.

Caring is a wonderful gift that no one can buy.

Its made up of love that roots in our hearts

To make fruits of memory for a lifetime.

Positive pictures come out from negatives

Developed in a dark room.

So if you find yourself lonely and in the dark

Understand that life is working

On a beautiful picture for you.

A Perfect Week

2006-08-19T17:30:00.000+08:00

Monday
Wash Day

Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity,

so I may serve you with perfect humility

through the week ahead.

Tuesday
Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice

I have collected though the years so that I may see

the beauty in others.

Wednesday
Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set
a bad example for others.

Thursday
Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults

I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday
Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I
may purchase eternal happiness for myself

and all others in need of love.

Saturday
Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of
brotherly love and serve it with clean,

sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday
The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you.
Please come into my heart so I may spend

the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

When I say "I am a Christian"

2006-08-19T17:18:00.000+08:00

When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean living". I'm whispering "I was lost", Now I'm found and forgiven. When I say "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide. When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on. When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess. When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it. When I say "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain, I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name. When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow.

He Knows the Plan...

2006-05-18T23:44:00.000+08:00

STAY IN STEP WITH GOD

''I know the plans I have for you.'' Jeremiah 29:11

Nothing shocks God or catches Him off guard. He did not
panic when Adam sinned in the Garden. He did not freak out
when the world grew so sinful that He had to send a flood to
cleanse and start it over again. Sodom and Gomorrah did not
make Him gasp. When Jonah ended up inside the whale God was not thrown. That is because God always has a plan. And He has one for your life too. It is detailed, timely, well oiled,
perfectly orchestrated, and when you fully grasp it you will
be thrilled! The Bible says He has '...plans to prosper...and
not to harm you...to give you hope and a future.' But sometimes it is hard to see God's hand at work, especially when trouble is knocking on your door in the form of a diagnosis you
dreaded, a runaway child, a partner who wants out of the
marriage, or a financial setback you are not sure you will
survive.

When the crisis you are facing makes you want to throw in the
towel, remember this: our problems become God's opportunities. He loves to transform our most costly mistakes into priceless gems of wisdom, our bruised and bleeding places into greater strength, and our deepest fears into unshakeable faith - once we start seeing them as part of His master plan! Today God wants to bring His purposes to pass in your life in ways that will astonish you. So stay in step with Him, keep trusting and refuse to give place to discouragement no matter what; okay?

as seen in wordfortoday

"On Being Mom" by Anna Quindlen

2006-05-16T21:42:00.000+08:00

If not for the photographs, I might have a hard time believing they ever existed. The pensive infant with the swipe of dark bangs and the blackbutton eyes of a Raggedy Andy doll. The placid baby with the yellow ringlets and the high piping voice. The sturdy toddler with the lower lip that curled into an apostrophe above her chin. ALL MY BABIES are gone now.

I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.

Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete

Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories.

What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations -- what they taught me was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all. Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One boy is toilet trained at 3, his brother at 2.

When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing.

Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.

I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month-old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk,too.
Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, What did you get wrong? (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be.

The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts.

It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

MY WISH FOR YOU...

2006-04-27T23:50:00.000+08:00

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in" "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him.. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!" MY WISH FOR YOU... -Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy. -Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it. -Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience, and renewed strength. -Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.

Subject: paradigm shift

2006-04-03T00:00:00.000+08:00

Imagine you're in a Airport. While you're waiting for your flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies.

You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies.

Finally you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread cookies.

As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely. He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box and eats it!

You're more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you're at a loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but he alternates with you.

For every one cookie you take, he takes one.

Now, what's your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy? He's got some nerve! Can you imagine the words you might use to describe this man to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both continue eating the cookies until there's just one left.

To your surprise, the man reaches over and takes it. But then he does something unexpected. He breaks it in half, and gives half to you.

After he's finished with his half he gets up, and without a word, he leaves.

You think to yourself, "Did this really happen?" You're left sitting there dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the kiosk and buy another box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin opening your new box of cookies when you glance down
into your traveling bag.

Sitting there in your bag is your original box of cookies -- still unopened.

Only then did you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had reached into the other man's bag and grabbed his box of cookies by mistake.

Now what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You've just experienced a profound paradigm shift. You're seeing things from a new point of view.

Is it time to change your point of view?

Now, think of this story as it relates to your life. Seeing things from a new point of view can be very enlightening.

Think outside the box. Don't settle for the status quo. Be open to suggestions. Things may not be what they seem.

Sisters

2006-03-27T13:12:00.000+08:00

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cu! bes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "Sisters" also means your girlfriends, your daughter and other women relatives ties, too. You'll need other women. Women always do."

'What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup. Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After almost 61 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

Time passes.

Life happens

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Love waxes and wanes.

Hearts break.

Careers end.

Jobs come and go.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.& nbsp;

Men don't call when they say they will.

BUT Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

A Sister is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley, and you have to walk it by yourself, your Sisters will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out.

My mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, sister, daughters, and "girlfriends," bless my life! The world wouldn't be the same without them, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Share this with the women who help make your life work.

I just did.

Last Night -- for the husbands

2006-03-21T16:25:00.000+08:00

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed at home.

He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed, "Dear Lord, I go to work every day and put in eight hours while my wife merely stays at home.

I want her to know what I go through, so please create a trade in our bodies."

God, in His infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.

The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman.

He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to draw out money to pay the power bill and telephone bill, drove to the power company and the phone company and paid the bills, went grocery shopping, came home and put away the groceries. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog.

Then it was already 1:00 p.m. and he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor. He ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home. He set out cookies and milk and got the kids organized to do their homework, then set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing.

At 4:30 PM he began peeling potatoes and washed greens for salads, breaded the chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.

After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed. At 9:00 PM he was exhausted and though his chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get
through without complaint.

The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said, " Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day.

Please, O Lord please, let us trade back."

The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, replied, "My son, I feel you have learned your lesson, and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were.

You'll have to wait 9 months, though.

You got pregnant last night!!!"

Fw: Stages of Fatherhood

2006-03-21T00:51:00.000+08:00

First Child: Your wife feels the nesting stage in her ninth month, so she has you clean and scrub the house from top to bottom.

Second Child: Your wife feels the nesting stage in her ninth month, so you leave a note for the cleaning lady to clean the bathrooms.

Third Child: Before you bring your wife and newborn home from the hospital, you spray for bugs.

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

First Child: You carefully select a day-care facility for its educational and nurturing program.

Second Child: You pick a day-care facility because it's on your way to work.

Third Child: You ask Child and Family Services how old a kid has to be to let him stay home alone.

Mommy test....

2006-03-16T10:29:00.000+08:00

To the mommies and would be mommies... at least now you'd know what to tell your kids :-) I was out walking with my 4 year old son. He picked something up off the ground and started to put it in his mouth. I took the item away from him and I asked him not to do that. "Why?" my son asked. "Because it's been laying outside, you don't know where it's been; it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied. At this point, my son looked at me with total admiration and asked,"Wow! How do you know all this stuff?" "Uh," ...I was thinking quickly,"All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but he was evidently pondering this new information. "OH...I get it!" he beamed, "So if you don't pass the test, you have to be the daddy." "Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face and joy in my heart. When you're finished laughing, send this to a Mom :)

100%?

2006-03-15T15:56:00.000+08:00

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%?
What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these

Questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you

L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!Please send this to your friends and pray for him/her who sent to you.You will be blessed.

DON'T LOSE THAT 90%

2006-03-13T21:52:00.000+08:00

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. "Wow,this girl in my office is a real looker. I'm crazy about her because she's also understanding, intelligent, tender - so many things that my spouse is not."

Somewhere along the way, you'll find a woman or a man who will be more charming or sensitive. More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Have greater sex appeal. And you will find a woman or man who will need you and pursue you and go loco over you more than your spouse ever did. Because no wife or husband is perfect. Because a spouse will only have 90% of what you're looking for. So adultery takes place when a husband or wife looks for the missing 10%.

Let's say your wife is melancholic by nature. You may find yourself drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laughter. Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pyjamas, smelling of garlic and fish oil, you may fall for a fresh-smelling young sales representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high heels, and a red pencil-cut skirt. Or because your husband is the quiet type, your heart may skip a beat when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show host.

But wait! That's only 10% of what you don't have. Don't throw away the 90% that you already have! Add to your spouse's 90% the 100% that represents all the years that you have been with each other. The storms you have weathered together. The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple. The many adjustments you have made to love the other. The wealth of memories that you've accumulated as lovers. Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. But faithfulness happens when you start thanking God for what you already have. But I'm not just talking about marriage. I'm talking about life! About your jobs. About your friends. About your children. About your lifestyles. Are you like the economy airline?

The main message:
If you start appreciating what you have right now, wherever you are is FIRST CLASS!

Since it's Women's Month ...

2006-03-09T00:25:00.000+08:00

Attention : Male Species

Be very careful if you make a woman cry

.... because God counts her tears.

The woman came from a man's rib
.... not from his feet to be walked on

.... not from his head to be superior of

.... but from the side to be equal with
.... under the arm to be protected for
.... and next to the heart to be loved.

Marriage

2006-02-10T22:50:00.000+08:00

WIFE VS HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."

WORDS

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same
time.

"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"

WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get
our coffee."

The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the Old Testament and showed him at the top of several pages that it indeed says.......... "HEBREWS"

THE SILENT TREATMENT

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.

Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests. God may have created man before woman, but there is
always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

SEND THIS TO SMART WOMEN WHO NEED A LAUGH AND TO MEN YOU THINK CAN HANDLE IT!

Just passing by ....

2006-02-10T04:02:00.001+08:00

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day,

Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind a shabby and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?"

The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord, This is kind a what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM, CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks." He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there.

As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come.

As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried, but he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them, brought changes in the ward.

His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile;
"The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while

Everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,

AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY."

If this blesses you, pass it on

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave
footprints in your heart.

May God hold you in the palm of His hand and Angels watch over you.

But for those of us who are already His, He not only holds us in the palm of His hand, but has engraved our names there, and we are continually in His sight (Isaiah 49:16)

Please pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed. Jesus said, " If you are ashamed of me," I will be ashamed of you before my Father." If you are not ashamed, pass this on . But only if you mean it.

Yes, I do love God. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without him, I am nothing but with Him "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." Phil 4:13

This is too good not to share -

So this is me ... Just Checking In

Think Positive

2006-02-10T04:02:00.000+08:00

This is nice - finding positive out of every negative - which we don't always manage to do.

I am thankful...

1. For the husband who snores all night, because he is at home asleep with me and not with someone else.
2. For my teenage daughter who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home & not on the streets.
3. For the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.
4. For the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.
5. For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
6. For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
7. For a floor that needs mopping, and windows that need cleaning because it means I have a home.
8. For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means that we have freedom of speech.
9. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
10. For the noise I have to bear from my neighbors because it means that I can hear.
11. For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
12. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.
13. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am stilll alive.

AND FINALLY ....... for received e-mails because it means I have friends who are thinking of me, at least.

The Husband Store

2006-02-01T22:12:00.001+08:00

A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates."You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights.There is, however, a catch: you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!"

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs.

The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids.

The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids,and are extremely good looking. "Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with the housework.

"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework,and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor.There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.

Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

A Cup of Coffee

2006-02-01T22:12:00.000+08:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old University of Notre Dame lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive c ups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

PLANS

2006-01-26T00:58:00.001+08:00

The best gift anyone can give me at Christmas is a planner. I like planners because I am a planner. I like thinking ahead. I like being prepared. I get a high from being on top of things. But some things are beyond planning. And life doesn't always turn out as planned.

You don't plan for a broken heart. You don't plan for a failed marriage. You don't plan for an adulterous husband. You don't plan for an autistic child. You don't plan for spinsterhood. You don't plan for a lump in your breast.

You plan to be young forever. You plan to climb the corporate ladder. You plan to be rich and powerful. You plan to be acclaimed and successful. You plan to conquer the universe. You plan to fall in love - and be loved forever.

You don't plan to be sad. You don't plan to be hurt. You don't plan to be broke. You don't plan to be betrayed. You don't plan to be alone in this world.

You plan to be happy. You don't plan to be shattered.

Sometimes if you work hard enough, you can get what you want. But most times, what you want and what you get are two different things. We mortals plan. But so does God in the heavens.

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand God's plans - especially when His plans are not in consonance with ours. Often, when God sends us crisis, we turn to Him in anger. True, we cannot choose the cross that God wishes us to carry but we can carry the cross with courage, knowing that God will never abandon us nor send something we cannot cope with.

Sometimes, God breaks our spirit to save our soul. Sometimes, He breaks our heart to make us whole. Sometimes, God sends us pain so we can be stronger. Sometimes, God sends us failure so we can be humble. Sometimes God sends us illness so we can take better care of ourselves. Sometimes, God takes everything away from us so we can learn the value of everything He gave us.

Make plans but understand that we live by God's grace.

Growing up we get dismayed by the realization that we could not get everything we want. Growing old, I am delighted by the realization that although I can't have everything I want, I can want everything I have.

The barber and his Christian customer

2006-01-26T00:58:00.000+08:00

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and
untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! " answered the barber. "What happens, is, people do not come to me. "

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

How do we pray?

2006-01-19T22:03:00.000+08:00

Our Father Who Art In Heaven.
YES?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
BUT -- YOU CALLED ME !!

Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying. Our Father who art in heaven.
THERE -- YOU DID IT AGAIN

Did what?
CALLED ME. YOU SAID, "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN"
WELL HERE I AM. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty.
WELL, ALL RIGHT. GO ON.

Okay, Hallowed be Thy name...
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

By what?
BY "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"?

It means, it means ... good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
IT MEANS HONORED, HOLY, WONDERFUL.

Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?

Sure, why not?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?

Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there. We're kind of in a mess down here you know.
YES, I KNOW; BUT, HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU?

Well, I go to church.
THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BAD TEMPER? YOU'VE REALLY GOT A PROBLEM THERE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN THERE'S THE WAY YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY --ALL ON YOURSELF. AND WHAT ABOUT THE KIND OF BOOKS YOU READ?

Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!
EXCUSE ME. I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY WILL TO BE DONE. IF THAT IS TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES WHO ARE PRAYING FOR IT. LIKE YOU -- FOR EXAMPLE.

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.
SO COULD I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.
GOOD. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE'LL WORK
TOGETHER -- YOU AND ME. I'M PROUD OF YOU.

Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.
YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BREAD. YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR. REMEMBER, YOU CALLED ME -- AND HERE I AM. IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. KEEP PRAYING.

..pause...

WELL, GO ON.

I'm scared to.
SCARED? OF WHAT?

I know what you'll say.
TRY ME.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
WHAT ABOUT CAROL?

See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her!
BUT -- YOUR PRAYER -- WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER?

I didn't -- mean it.
WELL, AT LEAST YOU'RE HONEST. BUT, IT'S QUITE A LOAD CARRYING AROUND ALL THAT BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT ISN'T IT?

Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.
NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL WORSE. REVENGE ISN'T SWEET. YOU KNOW HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE -- WELL, I CAN CHANGE THAT.

You can? How?
FORGIVE CAROL. THEN, I'LL FORGIVE YOU; AND THE HATE AND SIN WILL BE CAROL'S PROBLEM -- NOT YOURS. YOU WILL HAVE SETTLED THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS YOU ARE CONCERNED.

Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You..., (sigh). All right...all right...I forgive her.
THERE NOW! WONDERFUL! HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Hmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know.
YEAH, I KNOW. BUT, YOU'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR PRAYER ARE YOU? GO ON.

Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
GOOD! GOOD! I'LL DO THAT. JUST DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE TEMPTED.

What do you mean by that?
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

Yeah. I know.
OKAY. GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR PRAYER.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY -- WHAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY?

No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now. I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me ... how do I make you happy?
YOU JUST DID

2006-01-19T21:48:00.000+08:00

The Penny

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk
being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time
I've ever heard this twist on the story.Gives you something
to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited
to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend
was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with
a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and my friend was delighted to
have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's
employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest
restaurants. My friend knew she would never have the opportunity to
indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself
immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant
that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of my friend and
her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement
for a long, silent moment.

My friend wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was
nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone
had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached
down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found
a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a
single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could
stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once
had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been
of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for
the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies
before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United
States of America"

"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?" "No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?""Yes!" "And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever
I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United
States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right
in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I
see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment.
I pick the coin up as a response ! to God; that I do trust in Him. For a
short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's
way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient
and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I
stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and
fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words,
"In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in
the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!

And, God is patient...

Fw: this is wonderful!

2006-01-13T18:36:00.000+08:00

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on. If you do not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.

If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.

If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes right now to forward this message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?

The more people that you send this to, the better you'll be at reaching out to those you care about.

Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.

May Your Day Be Blessed As Special As You Are

Subject: GOD

2006-01-11T01:47:00.000+08:00

SOMEBODY'S RAISING THEIR KID RIGHT!

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children.

The teacher asked a little boy: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later). Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. He just doesn't exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions.
The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy:
Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLEGIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLEGIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLEGIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLEGIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLEGIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she must not have one!

(You Go Girl!)

"FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT" II CORINTHIANS 5:7

THE SCARS OF LIFE

2006-01-09T21:38:00.000+08:00

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks,and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming
hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.

That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. Never judge another persons scars, because you don't know how they got them.

Also, it is soooo important that we are not selfish to receive the blessings of these messages without forwarding them to someone else.

Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them, and you love them too enough to not let them go.

2006-01-06T22:08:00.000+08:00

Advices from Bill Gates - The 11 Rules

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they will not learn in school. He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair-get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to
accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real ife.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

2006-01-04T20:11:00.000+08:00

LET IT GO FOR 2006 by T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this. When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, "They came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us." [1 John 2:19] People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go!! And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person. It just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have, He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat, I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!! If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...... Let them go!! If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...... Let them go!! If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth..... Let them go!! If someone has angered you........ Let them go!! If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...... Let them go!! If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...... Let them go!! If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents.. Let them go!! I

f you! You have a bad attitude....... Let them go!! If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...... Let them go!! If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...... Let them go!! If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....... Let them go!! If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...... Let them go!! If you're feeling depressed and stressed ......... Let them go!! If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying, "take your hands off of it," then you need to...... Let them go!! Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2006!!! Let them go!! Get right or get left. Think about it, and then... Let them go!! "The Battle is the Lord's!"

During the next 60 seconds, stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity (Literally, it is only ONE minute!) All you have to do is the following: You simply say "The Lords Prayer" for the person that sent you this message: The Lords Prayer Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever. Amen. Next, send this message to everyone you know. In a while, more people will have prayed for you and you would have obtained a lot of people praying for others! Next, stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.

Always remember, God loves you and watches over you everyday!

2005-12-30T20:55:00.000+08:00

You Better Slow Down

Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go-round Or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last. Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, Do you lie in your bed With the next hundred chores Running through your head? You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last. Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die 'Cause you never had time To call and say "Hi"? You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last. When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away... Life is not a race. Do take it slower Hear the music Before the song is over.

2005-12-29T01:36:00.000+08:00

Thank You Lord

       Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes;
            we have plenty of food to eat.
        Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry;
            we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
        And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds;
            they were so warm and comfortable last night.
            I know that many have no bed.
        My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom,
            complete with all the splattered mirrors,
            soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory;
            they are so convenient.
        Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator
            that needs cleaning.
           It has served us faithfully for many years.
           It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers
            for two or three meals.
        Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely
             must be cleaned today;
            It has baked so many things over the years.
        The whole family is grateful for that tall grass
            that we all enjoy the yard.
           My kids are healthy and able to run and play.
        Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says
            You have richly blessed my family.
            I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them     gratefully.
        Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
            when the alarm rings,
           Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
            There are many who are deaf.
        Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light
            as long as possible,
           Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
        Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
           Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
           There are many who are bedridden.
        Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
           when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short,
           my children are so loud,
           Thank you, Lord, for my family.
            There are many who are lonely.
        Even though our breakfast table never looks like
            the pictures in magazines
           and the menu is at times not balanced,
           There are many who are hungry.
        Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
           Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
           There are many who have no job.
        Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
           and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
           Thank you, Lord, for life.

2005-12-23T16:27:00.000+08:00

It is good to be a woman:

1. We got off the Titanic first.
2. We can scare male bosses with the mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.
3. Taxis stop for us.
4. We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing.
5. No fashion faux pas we make, could ever rival the Speedo.
6. We don't have to pass gas to amuse ourselves.
7. If we forget to shave, no one has to know.
8. We have the ability to dress ourselves.
9. We can talk to the opposite sex without having to picture them naked.
10. If we marry someone 20 years younger, we are aware that we will look like an idiot.
11. We will never regret piercing our ears.
12. There are times when chocolate r eally can solve all your problems.
13. We can make comments about how silly men are in their presence because they aren't listening anyway.

Send this to all the bright women you know and make their day!!!!!

2005-12-23T00:09:00.000+08:00

Right Now....

       Somebody is very proud of you.
      Somebody is thinking of you.
      Somebody is caring about you.
      Somebody misses you.
      Somebody wants to talk to you.
      Somebody wants to be with you.
      Somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.
      Somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
      Somebody wants to hold your hand.
      Somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
      Somebody wants you to be happy.
      Somebody wants you to find him/her.
      Somebody is celebrating your successes.
      Somebody wants to give you a gift.
      Somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
      Somebody hopes you're not too cold, or too hot.
      Somebody wants to hug you.
      Somebody loves you.
      Somebody admires your strength.
      Somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
      Somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
      Somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun.
      Somebody thinks the world of you.
      Somebody wants to protect you.
      Somebody would do anything for you.
      Somebody wants to be forgiven.
      Somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.
      Somebody wants to laugh with you.
      Somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there.
      Somebody is praising God for you.
      Somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional.
      Somebody values your advice.
      Somebody wants to tell you how much they care.
      Somebody wants to share their dreams with you.
      Somebody wants to hold you in their arms.
      Somebody wants you to hold them in your arms.
      Somebody treasures your spirit.
      Somebody wishes they could stop time because of you.
      Somebody praises God for your friendship and love.
      Somebody can't wait to see you.
      Somebody loves you for who you are.
      Somebody loves the way you make them feel.
      Somebody wants to be with you.
      Somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
      Somebody is glad that you're his/her friend.
      Somebody wants to be your friend.
      Somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.
      Somebody is alive because of you.
      Somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.
      Somebody wants to get to know you better.
      Somebody wants to be near you.
      Somebody misses your advice/guidance.
      Somebody has faith in you.
      Somebody trusts you.
      Somebody needs you to send them this letter.
      Somebody needs your support.
      Somebody needs you to have faith in them.
      Somebody will cry when they read this.
      Somebody needs you to let them be your friend.
      Somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

2005-12-22T20:09:00.001+08:00

Life

Life is a mixture of
sunshine and rain,
Laughter and pleasure,
teardrops and pain,

All day can't be bright,
but it's certainly true,
There was never a cloud the
sun didn't shine through

So just keep on smiling
whatever betide you,
Secure in the knowledge
God is always beside you,

And you'll find when you
smile your day will be brighter
And all of your burdens
will seem so much lighter—

For each time you smile
you will find it is true
Somebody, somewhere will
smile back at you,

And nothing on earth can
make life more worthwhile
Than the sunshine and
warmth of a beautiful smile.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

Reasons

2005-12-22T20:09:00.000+08:00

If God answers your Prayers,

He is increasing ur Faith;

If He Delays,

He is increasing ur Patience;

If He doesn't answer,

He has sumtin Better for you!

Timing for the New Year

2005-12-22T20:08:00.000+08:00

Words to live by

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.

Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends.

The grouches pull you down. (keep this In mind if you are one of those
grouches;)

3. Keep learning:

Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,

whatever. Never let the brain get idle.

"An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and Lots of time
with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen:

Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life,
is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love:

Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.

Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:

If it is good, preserve it.

If it is unstable, improve it.

If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.

Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but
NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

And if you don't send this to at least four people - who cares?

But do share this with someone.

"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none". --William Shakespeare

Fw: Bake a cake on Christmas!

2005-12-19T13:41:00.000+08:00

Tequila Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the tequila to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the tequila again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup...just in
case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.

CHERRY MISTMAS!

2005-12-18T17:05:00.001+08:00

The Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time...

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love.

It is not enough to share love with those we hold dear.

Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity.

Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Amen

2005-12-18T17:05:00.000+08:00

You Are Cordially Invited To A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: Every day. Traditionally December 25, but He's always around, so the date is flexible..

Time: Whenever you're ready, (please don't be too late, though; or you'll miss out on all the fun!!)..

Place: In your heart ... He'll meet you there (you'll hear Him knock)..

Attire: Come as you are ...grubbies are okay. He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last..

Tickets: Admission is free. He's already paid for everyone..(He says you would not have been able to afford it ...it cost Him everything He had!!)..

Refreshments: New wine, bread and a far-out drink He calls "living water, followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world!!

Gift Suggestions: Your heart. He's one of those people who already has everything else. (He's very generous in return though; just wait until you see what He has for you)..

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, and much more! (All rated "G" so bring your family and friends)..

R.S.V.P. Very Important! He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at the table. Also, he's keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life").

Party Being Given By His Kids (That's us)

Hope To See You There!

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) ... 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' .."

-- Author Unknown

Daily Insight

2005-12-17T12:24:00.000+08:00

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else. Peyton Conway March

2005-12-13T13:28:00.000+08:00 Do I Have Enough? I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely-dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of "do I have enough?" As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He, too, had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so, at the most. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head, "no." The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully-dressed, glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block. However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little boy and his father. Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and his father then started walking through another aisle of the store. The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys, and raced toward the check-out, after speaking with her father. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter. I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my purse when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!" With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could only stare in disbelief. It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted! The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my life. Then they walked out the door, and I followed, close behind them. As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him. "Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me happy?" He said, "Of course they did, honey." To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!" With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car. Apparently, she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?" I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the reason for the season than most adults I know! May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy, and me, that day! 2005-12-12T15:46:00.000+08:00 Why We Love Kids *NUDITY* I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!" *HONESTY* My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago. *OPINIONS* On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents." *KETCHUP* A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she added, "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle." *MORE NUDITY* A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen a little boy before?" *POLICE NO. 1* While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?" *POLICE NO. 2* It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What'd he do?" *ELDERLY* While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!" *DRESS-UP* A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning." *DEATH* While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather, and unto the Sonnn..and into the hole he gooooes." *SCHOOL* A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!" *BIBLE* A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found", the boy called out." What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!" 2005-12-07T18:26:00.000+08:00 Thoughts to Ponder Life is sexually transmitted. Good Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents? In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal. Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. I had amnesia once -- or twice. Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic. All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy. If the world were a logical place, men would ride horses sidesaddle. What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free? They told me I was gullible .. and I believed them. Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto a freeway. Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long. Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone. What if there were no hypothetical questions? One nice thing about egotists: They don't talk about other people. A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity. Is Marx's tomb a communist plot? Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off. It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one. Is it my imagination or do buffalo wings taste like chicken? 2005-12-04T15:41:00.000+08:00 LOVE according to kids... Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it. Touching words from the mouth of babes. What does Love mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think … "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8 --------------------------------- "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4 --------------------------------- "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5 --------------------------------- "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6 --------------------------------- "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4 --------------------------------- "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7 --------------------------------- "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8 --------------------------------- "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) --------------------------------- "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet) --------------------------------- "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7 --------------------------------- "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6 --------------------------------- "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8 --------------------------------- "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6 --------------------------------- "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5 --------------------------------- "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7 --------------------------------- "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4 --------------------------------- "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4 --------------------------------- "When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7 --------------------------------- "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6 --------------------------------- "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8 --------------------------------- And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry" --------------------------------- When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. BE NOT LEAD ASTRAY... 2005-12-02T00:25:00.000+08:00 Just up the road from the Arp Family's home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if one stops the car, or is walking by, one will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. Listening, one will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is trusting that she will not lead him astray. Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by God and those whom he places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see God. 2005-11-29T13:18:00.000+08:00 A woman's worth (so true!) In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the question, "What kind of man are you looking for?" She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asking, "Do you really want to know?" Reluctantly, he said, "Yes." She began to expound... "As a woman in this day and age, I am in a position to ask a man what he can do for me that I can't do for myself. I pay my own bills. I take care of my household without the help of any man...or woman for that matter. I am in the position to ask, "What can you bring to the table?" The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money. She quickly corrected his thought and stated, "I am not referring to money. I need something more." "I need a man who is striving for perfection in every aspect of life." He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and asked her to explain. She said, "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection mentally because I need conversation and mental stimulation. I don't need a simple-minded man." "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked... believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster." "I need a man who is striving for perfection financially because I don't need a financial burden. I am looking for someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded." "I am looking for someone who I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive... he just has to be worthy. God made woman to be a helpmate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself." When she finished her spiel, she looked at him. He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said, " You're asking a lot." She replied, "I'm worth a lot." Send this to every woman who's worth a lot and every man who needs to know that. 2005-11-24T10:15:00.000+08:00 CLASSIC DEFINITIONS AND COOL MEANINGS 1. Cigarette: A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool at the other. 2. Love affairs: Something like cricket where one-day internationals are more popular than a five-day test. 3. Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters. 4. Divorce: Future tense of marriage. 5. Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either". 6. Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present. 7. Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece. 8. Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine's will power is defeated by feminine's waterpower... 9. Dictionary: A place where divorce comes before marriage. 10. Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens & everybody disagrees later on. 11. Ecstasy: A feeling when you feel you are going to feel a feeling you have never felt before. 12. Classic: Is a book, which people praises, but do not read. 13. Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight. 14. Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life. 15. Yawn: The only time when a married man ever gets to open his mouth. 16. Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do. 17. Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together. 18. Experience: The name men give to their mistakes. 19. Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions. 20. Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead. 21. Diplomat: A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip. 22. Opportunist: A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river. 23. Optimist: A person who while falling from Eiffel Tower says in midway "See I am not injured yet." 24. Pessimist: A person who says that O is the last letter in ZERO, Instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY. 25. Miser: A person who lives poor so that he can die rich. 26. Father: A banker provided by nature. 27. Criminal: A guy no different from the rest... except that he got caught. 28. Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early. 29. Politician: One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after. 30. Doctor: A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills. 31. Computer Engineer: One who gets paid for making/reading such foolish mails... 2005-11-09T02:37:00.000+08:00 Three Bullets There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree. As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice again said to him, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to God's voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey. The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it. When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake's head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God. Moral of the story: Keep God first and everything else will follow. Pray first before you do anything. Aim high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let people or things discourage you concerning your past. Do not look to man for your blessings, but look only to God. -- Author Unknown 2005-11-08T01:29:00.000+08:00 Did you know??? Did you know that those who appear to be very strong in heart, are real weak and most succeptible? Did you know that those who spend their time protecting others are the ones that really need someone to protect them? Did you know that the three most difficult things to say are : I love you, Sorry and help me The people who say these are actually in need of them or really feel them, and are the ones you really need to treasure, because they have said them. Did you know that people who occupy themselves by keeping others company or helping others are the ones that actually need your company and help? Did you know that those who dress in red are more confident in themselves? Did you know that those who dress in yellow are those that enjoy their beauty? Did you know that when you help someone, the help is returned two-fold? Did you know that those who need more of you are those that don't mention it to you? Did you know that it's easier to say what you feel in writing than saying it to someone in the face? But did you know that it has more value when you say it to their face? Did you know that what is most difficult for you to say or do is much more valuable than anything that is valuable that you can buy with money? Did you know that if you ask for something in faith, your wishes are granted? Did you know that you can make your dreams come true, like falling in love, becoming rich, staying healthy, if you ask for it by faith, and if you really knew, you'd be surprised by what you could do. But don't believe everything I tell you, until you try it for yourself , if you know someone that is in need of something that I mentioned, and you know that you can help, you'll see that it will be returned two-fold . DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON ME???... AT THE MOMENT, TIME AND PLACE THAT YOU NEED ME, CALL ME, I WILL BE THERE WITH YOU !!!!! "One day, we will change the world...or we are already changing it " THE BALL IS NOW IN YOUR COURT... If the world were to end in 24 hours, all the phone lines, chat rooms and e-mails will be saturated from people sending messages to others, saying: "I regret having made you feel bad", "Pardon me", "I love you", "I hold you in high esteem", take good care of yourself" and sometimes "I have always loved you, only I never told you". 2005-11-07T16:57:00.000+08:00 Charles Schultz Philosophy The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point. 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that CARE. 2005-11-04T03:34:00.000+08:00 ~ A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN D E A T H ~ A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side." Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know." "You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?" The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough." May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. **God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.** 2005-11-03T04:17:00.000+08:00 36 CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice." 1. Pray 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. 16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19. Get organized so everything has its place. 20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray. 24. Make friends with Godly people. 25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus." 27. Laugh. 28. Laugh some more! 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most. 32. Sit on your ego. 33. Talk less; listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe 36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) Fw: GOODNIGHT KISS 2005-11-03T03:54:00.000+08:00 "GOODNIGHT KISS" I count it as a privilege, I count it cause for praise To kiss my children goodnight at the close of everyday. For I know too soon they're up and gone, and walking out the door And I'll never have a child to kiss goodnight any more. It's very strange how times have changed from the present to the past. When did they grow so quickly the time has flown so fast. For it seems like only yesterday I helped him with his shirt, Or pat my baby on the back, or kissed away a hurt. Tell a story, read a book, wipe a nose, or tie a shoe. They never ask me to rub their backs the way they used to do. Once it was a bother, just a troublesome kind of chore. But now I would give anything to do it just once more. Mommy, bounce me on your knee, Daddy, flip me in the air. Throw a rubber ball to me and help me comb my hair. Mommy, tickle my tummy... Daddy hold me high. Lets go outside, for a while, or make a kite to fly... I count it as a privilege I count it cause for praise To kiss my children goodnight at the close of everyday. For I know too soon they're up and gone and walking out the door And I'll never have a child to kiss goodnight anymore! --Author Unknown Fw: Before i was a mom... 2005-11-03T03:15:00.000+08:00 Before I was a Mom I made and ate hot meals. I had unstained clothing. I had quiet conversations on the phone. Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted. And never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth every day. Before I was a Mom I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies. Before I was a Mom I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunisations. Before I was Mom I had never been puked on, Pooped on, Spat on, Chewed on, Peed on, Or pinched by tiny fingers. Before I was a Mom I had complete control of my mind, My thoughts. My body, And my time. I slept all night. Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child, So that doctors could do tests, or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep. Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because. I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces. When I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom. Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important. Before I was a Mom I had never risen in the middle of the night . Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, Or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom! - Author unknown - Fw: Quotes: Brain Cramps 2005-11-03T03:09:00.000+08:00 Brain Cramps Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --Miss ! Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest. `````````````````````````````````` "Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --Mariah Carey ```````````` "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life," --Brooke Shields, during an interview to become Spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign. ````````````````````````````````````````````````` "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body," --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward ````````````````````````````````````````````` "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC. ````````````````````````````` "I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." --Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````` "That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it," --A congressional candidate in Texas. ```````````````````````````` "Half this game is ninety percent mental." --Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark `````````````````````````````````` "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." --Al Gore, Vice President ``````````````````` "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." --Dan Quayle `````````` " It's no exaggeration to say that the undecideds could go one way or another" --George Bush, US President `````````````````````` "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" --Lee Iacocca ``````````` "I was provided with additional input that was radically different from the truth. I assisted in furthering that version." --Colonel Oliver North, from his Iran-Contra testimony. ````````````````````````````````````````` "The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst. ```````````````````````````````````````````` "We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." --Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor. ````````````````````````````````` "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." --Bill Clinton, President `````````````````` "We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." --Al Gore, VP `````````` "Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery ``````````````` "Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." --Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina ```````````````````````````````````````````` "If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." --Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman