"Always Say I Love You"
Brittney loved basketball
Friends and parties too
And when it came to painting
That's all she wanted to do
She painted everything she saw
Birds, flowers, the sky
Some days she sat at her window
And painted everything that passed her by
But lately she'd been feeling woozy
Her muscles ached a lot
And her parents got kind of worried
So they took her to the doc
The doctor took a couple of tests
To see if everything was okay
Then the nurse came out with a look of sadness
And this is what she had to say;
"I'm sorry but you've got leukemia,"
"You've got about 3 months more."
Then Brittney got up and ran out of the room
And slammed the office door
She ran down the street screaming
And cried her eyes out dry
And stayed up all night
Wondering what it's like to die
Her parents held her tightly
And said, "We love you,"
"We'll make your last few months the greatest,"
"We'll do anything for you."
So Brittney and her parents moved to Florida
To live by the sea
Because Brittney loved the ocean
And when she dies, that's where she wanted to be
She spent her days painting
And horseback riding in by the bay
But one day she met this guy
And his name was Jay
They collected seashells together
And talked about all kinds of things
And then one day while walking
He handed her a ring
It said, "I love you,"
Which brought tears to Brittney's eyes
And when he put it on her finger
She began to cry
"I've got leukemia, and about a month more."
He said," No matter what, I love you,"
"And no matter what, you are the one I adore."
So they spent everyday together
And swam in the Atlantic all day
But Brittney was getting weaker
And it was hard for her stay awake
So one day Brittney painted her picture
And gave it to Jay
She said, "I want you to remember me,"
"Even when I leave this place."
But one day while they were walking
And searching for seashells in the sand
Brittney collapsed and started to lose her breath
And said to Jay, "Please hold my hand."
"I love you more than anyone,"
"You are my only true love,"
"But now my time is up,"
"And I'll watch over you from above,"
Then Brittney's body was lifeless
As she lay in Jay's arms
And he sat there all day
And kept her safe from harm
I hope this teaches you a lesson.
To tell someone you love them whenever you can.
Because maybe they'll be gone tomorrow.
And you won't be there to hold their hand.
Because love is everything to everybody.
Without it, the world would be dead.
So always tell someone you love them.
A parent, a lover, a friend.
Send this to everyone you know,
it makes a big difference even though
you don't think so...
Everyone deserves an "I love you."
Because there may be
No one for that person to say it back to.
If you don't, the same shall happen to you.
Imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's soon paralleling his consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends! This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, safely you and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the larger footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints; they have become one. This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray: "Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you." "That is correct." "And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in your steps; I followed you very closely." "Very good. You have understood everything so far." "When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like you in every way." "Precisely." "So, Lord, was there regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first." There is a pause as the Lord answers with a smile in His voice. "You didn't know? That was when we danced." WORD: To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance. Ecclesiastics 3:1,4 May you have a day that makes you feel like dancing with Jesus!
God's Boxes of Love I have in my hands two boxes Which God gave me to hold He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold." I heeded His words, and in the two boxes Both my joys and sorrows I store But though the gold became heavier each day The black was as light as before With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole Which my sorrows had fallen out by I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, "I wonder where my sorrows could be." He smiled a gentle smile at me. "My child, they're all here with me." I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?" "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is for you to let go."
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1Samuel 16:7b)
By Sarah Roney c 1999 WorldNetDaily.com Last month, the nation was subject to yet another gruesome shooting, this time in Littleton, Colo. Kids killing kids. And again, the entire nation in its uproar is trying to figure out why. I am 18 years old. I live in a small town near Madison, Wis.-a small town just like the ones where these horrifying shootings always seem to take place. Every time those stories come on the television I can't help but notice how easily it could be my small town next. And I want to know why this is happening just as badly as any parent or police chief or anchorman. The thing is, I am right in the middle of it. I am in the same age group as all of these high school kids. So I may have some insight for the world that has been otherwise unattainable since these shootings started some years ago. The night of the Littleton shooting, as I was flipping through the various news channels that were covering the story, I heard something that struck a chord in me. An anchorman was interviewing the mother of a victim in the Jonesboro, Ark., shooting. His question was: "If you look at America in the 1950's, you will find that this kind of thing never happened; whereas if you look at America today, this kind of thing is becoming more and more frequent. Why do you think this is happening?" The woman, of course, could not answer the question. In fact, she didn't really even try. But I did. I thought about it for a long time that night. And again the next morning, when my favorite morning radio talk show asked its listeners why they thought this has been happening. Many people said it's the parents of the kids. Many people suggested television and video games. Many people even turned to popular musicians, looking to put the blame somewhere. But I will tell you what I think it is. What I, a regular teen-ager riding on the coattails of Generation X, blame it on. It is not the parents or the movies or the rock stars. It is AMERICA. It is this culture of death, this culture in which liberals and feminists and activists are so anxious to let anything be "OK" that the once tightened, knotted rope of society is unraveling right beneath us. Don't you see? There can be no order without discipline. All of those things people think are causing children to run into a school and shoot their teachers and peers and even kids they don't know-the movies, the video games, the parents, the rap artists-they are only REFLECTIONS of our society. Society breaks down, from one big metaphoric "family" into 50 metaphoric "families" and so on and so on, until you have the actual FAMILY, the one with the parents and the kids and the dog. It is not one thing or two things; it is the attitude of an entire "familiar" nation being reflected back at us in the kids. Just as that anchorman suggested, something was different about the 1950s. WE WERE CONSERVATIVE. We had boundaries; we had a definite knowledge of right and wrong throughout the entire nation. We didn't have feminists pushing women so hard to go get a job that a woman who didn't have a job was somehow "bad," thereby leaving kids at home with inadequate parental guidance and often times with parents who were truly unhappy. We didn't have liberals fighting so avidly to legalize everything that it was at the point of completely blurring the line between good and bad. We didn't have a nationwide media surge dedicated to sex and violence so intense that if you weren't playing killing video games at age 14, then you were trying to choose between contraceptives beforehand or abortion afterwards. We didn't have disputes over whether or not we should help someone who is dying die sooner-over whether or not we should ASSIST them in committing SUICIDE. And we certainly didn't have a president who was in favor of NATO bombing and killing children in Serbia come on the television to grieve the loss for the families of children killed in America. We live in a loosely tied society, a culture dedicated to death. If you don't want the kid, kill it. If you don't want to live out the rest of your God-given days, kill yourself. Or better yet, have someone else come help you do it. I guess, no matter how horrible or gruesome or gut wrenching it may be, it was just a matter of time before someone got that "killing-as-a-means-to-an-end" idea stuck in their head for the part between birth and death as well. Everything that happens in families and cities and states and countries is the mirror image of the big picture. We are falling apart as a society. Am I-some random normal teenager in Farmertown, U.S.A.-the only one who sees that? It's sad and it's hard to believe, but what's worse is that it's scary. I think it's time for our-America's- parents to ground us to say, "If you don't shape up by the time I count to three. ..." And then really count to three. Because we are running wild and pretty soon we're going to be too far from home to ever get back. There was once a great saying by a famous man that continues to ring true throughout the history of mankind-in every family and in every society and in every social group and in every religion-it was a frighteningly true statement that cannot be disputed. I am reminded of it now, in the wake of yet another indescribably tormenting result of a nation gone haywire. "By their fruits you shall know them."
Jesus and Satan have a discussion as to who is the better programmer. This goes on for a few hours until they come to an agreement to hold a contest, with God as the judge. They set themselves before their computers and begin. They type furiously, lines of code streaming up the screen, for several hours straight. Seconds before the end of the competition, a bolt of lightning strikes, taking out the electricity. Moments later, the power is restored, and God announces that the contest is over. He asks Satan to show what he has come up with. Satan is visibly upset, and cries, "I have nothing. I lost it all when the power went out." "Very well, then," says God, "let us see if Jesus fared any better." Jesus enters a command, and the screen comes to Life in vivid display, the voices of an angelic choir pour forth from the speakers. Satan is astonished. He stutters, "B-b-but how?! I lost everything, yet Jesus' program is intact! How did he do it?" God chuckles, "Everybody knows...Jesus saves."
It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church. As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all fellowshipped for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me. A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit he took off his hat and coat. My heart sank. There stood our preacher...he was the "homeless man." No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand. "Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today." Then he started singing the words to this song: "If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or song. \If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain." "IS YOUR LIVING IN VAIN?" "To God Be The Glory"
S L O W D A N C E:
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 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 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.
I've learned- That you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can beloved. The rest is up to them.
I've learned- That no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
I've learned- That it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned- That it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life thatcounts.
I've learned- That you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better knowsomething.
I've learned- That you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.
I've learned- That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I've learned- That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I've learned- That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned- That you can keep going long after you can't.
I've learned- That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned- That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned- That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I've learned- That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned- That money is a lousy way of keepingscore.
I've learned- That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I've learned- That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I've learned- That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned- That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I've learned- That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned- That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I've learned- That you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I've learned- That your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
I've learned- That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in awhile and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned- That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned- That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I've learned- That our background and circumstances are different, but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned- That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I've learned- That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned- That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your lifeforever.
I've learned- That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I've learned- That no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I've learned- That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I've learned- That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I've learned- That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned- That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I've learned- That it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it? Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry,you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to>> me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: could choose to live or I could choose to die. choose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked? Jerry continued,"...The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'he's a deadman.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'" Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that everyday we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
The Christian Alphabet Poem..
A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are ha
rd
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X-alting God most high
Y es, there will be good times and yes some will be bad,but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!
Close An Angel wrote: Many people will walk in and out or your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head, To handle others, use your heart. Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it's his fault. If he betrays you twice, it's your fault. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into it's nest. He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all. Beautiful young people are acts of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. The tongue weighs practically nothing, but so few people can hold it.
I went into my classroom Ready for another year at school. I didn't want the work, Just wanted to hang and be cool.
I had on new clothes, New sneaks on my feet. I was there for class on time Went to the back and took my seat.
Yeah, I'm moving up. I'm already grown. Soon I'll be graduating And out on my own.
I talked to some of my friends. We were all having fun. Said some things I shouldn't have said, Did stuff I shouldn't have done.
I knew I was different. I felt God touch my heart. I knew I should set a standard, But then I'd be set apart.
Walking to the bus, I was not looking for strength. I heard the car tires screeching, But now it's too late.
I'm standing in this room And I can see the heavenly gate. Oh no! I never prayed. I thought I had time to get it straight.
An angel walked to me. He had a book in his hand. I knew it was the Book of Life. When would this dream end?
I told him my name And he began to look. Then he looked at me sadly and said Your name is not in this book.
Angel, this is a dream. No, I can't be dead! He closed the book and turned away. He whispered - You cannot proceed ahead.
No...no this can't be real. Angel, you can't turn me away. Let me talk to God. Maybe He'll let me stay.
He led me to the gate. Jesus came to me, He did not let me in but said, Beloved what is your need?
Jesus, I cried, please Don't cast me away from you. Tears ran down His face as He said, You knew what you needed to do.
Lord, please I'm young. I never thought I would die. I thought I'd have plenty of time. Death caught me by surprise.
Lord, I went to church. Please Jesus, I believe. He said you would not accept me. My love you would not receive.
Lord, there were too many hypocrites. They weren't being true. He took a step back and asked What does that have to do with you?
Lord, my family claimed to be saved, They weren't real. You know. He said, I died for you. Now I have to go.
I fell to my knees crying to Him. Lord, I planned to be real tomorrow. I couldn't, make Him understand. I had never -- felt such sorrow.
Then it hit me hard, I said Lord, where will I go? He looked into my eyes and said, My child you already know.
Please Jesus, I begged The place is so hot. It seemed to trouble and grieve Him. He whispered, DEPART FROM ME, I KNOW YOU NOT.
Lord, you're supposed to be love. How can you send me to damnation? He replied, With your mouth you said you loved me, But each day you rejected my salvation.
With that in an instant, Day turned into night. I never knew such torture could be. Now too late, I know the Bible is right.
If I can tell you anything, Hell has no age. It is a place of torture, Separated from God and full of rage.
You know I thought it was funny -- a joke, But this one thing is true. If you never accept Jesus Christ HELL IS WAITING FOR YOU!
So please ask Him into your heart.