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THE CARPENTER
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his
plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with
his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed
to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build
just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it
was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy
workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his
career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house,
the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house"
he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he
was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he
had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than
acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give
the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have
created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had
realized that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you
hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only
life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day
deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
A plaque on the wall says it all....
"Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes
and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes
and the choices you make today
THE AMERICAN WAY
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when
a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several
large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the fisherman on the quality
of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."
The American then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish. The
fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children,
take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I
sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend
more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds
from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a
fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would
sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would
control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this
small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually
NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right
you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become
very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing
village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a
siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you
could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Paradox of our age
Read this slowly - digest it thoroughly - IT IS SO TRUE
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways,
but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy
more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences,
but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more
knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get
too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read
too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have
trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
we've done larger things, but not better things; we've
cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the
atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more,
but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes;
but lower morals; more food but less appeasement; more
acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort but less success.
We build more computers to hold more information, to produce
more copies than ever, but have less communication;
we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men,
and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more
leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway
morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that
do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window,
and nothing in the stockroom.
Indeed it's all true. Think about it...read it again
Waiting for You
As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me-even if
it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good
that happened in your life. But I noticed you were too busy trying to find the
right outfit to put on and wear to work. I waited again.
When you ran around the house getting ready I knew there would be a few minutes
for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point, you had to
wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you
spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but instead you ran to
the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip. I watched as you went
to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess
you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked
around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me and that is why you didn't bow
your head. You glanced three tables over and noticed some of your friends
talking to me briefly before they ate----but you didn't. That's okay, there's
still more time left and I have hope that you will talk to me even yet.
You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of
them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if I like TV or not, just
about anything goes there-and you spend a lot of time each day in front of
it-not thinking about anything, just enjoying that show. I waited patiently
again as you watched TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
As you did your chores at home I waited again. You did what you had to do.
Bedtime rolled around and I guess you felt too tired. After saying good night to
your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time.
That's okay because you may not realize that I'm always there for you. I've got
patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be
patient with others as well. Because I love you so much, a long time ago I left
a wonderful place called Heaven and came down to Earth. I gave it up so that I
could be ridiculed and made fun of. I even died so you wouldn't have to take my
place. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayers, a thought, or
a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation all
the time.
Well, you are getting up again, ready for a new day. Once again I will wait with
nothing but love for you, hoping that today you will give me some time.
Have a nice day!!
Your friend, Jesus
THE ONLY BIBLE SOME PEOPLE WILL EVER READ
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans
and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of
college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright. He became a
Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative
church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how
to go about it.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his
T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down
the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find
a seat.
By now people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says
anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and, when he
realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the
carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust
me, this had never happened in this church before!)
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church,
a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties,
has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very
dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward
this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what
he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to
understand some college kid on the floor?
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly
silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him.
You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon
until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great
difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him
so he won't be alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says,
"What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you
will never forget. Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some
people will ever read."
- author unknown, submitted by Mary Ann Christensen
"Consider This"
A doctor asked Jesus why he hasn't sent any person into the world who has the
knowledge to cure AIDS, help bring forth world peace, or cure Cancer.
Jesus replied, "I did, but you aborted them"
*************************************************
Would you consider abortion in the following 4 situations???
1. There's a preacher and wife who are very, very poor. They already have
14 kids. Now she finds out she's pregnant with the 15th. They're living in
tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world
population, would you consider recommending she get an abortion?
2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. They have 4 children.
The first is blind, the second is dead, the third is deaf, and the fourth has TB.
She finds she's pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you consider
recommending abortion?
3. A white man raped a 13 year old black girl and she got pregnant. If you
were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?
4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She's not married. Her fiance is not the
father of the baby, and he's very upset. Would you consider recommending abortion?
* If you said "Yes" to the first case, you have just killed John Wesley, one of
the great evangelists in the 19th century.
* If you said "Yes" to the second case, you have killed Beethoven.
* If you said "Yes" to the third case, you have killed Ethel Waters, the great
black gospel singer.
* If you said "Yes" to the fourth case, you have declared the murder of
Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:18-23).
Choose Wisely "Choose Life!"
Life
of Joy!
The
Files
The Truth is Stranger than Fiction
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