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FOR TODAY AND EVERYDAY
May today there be peace within YOU.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of your faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and to bask in the Son.
It is there for each and every one of you.
Hope you're having a great day!!!
( @ @ )
------------o00o-(_)-o00o------------
Submitted by, Myrna, Wichita, Ks.
Subject: ”Little Birdies... Helping us Keep the Faith!”
Good morning...here is something nice...bring out the tissues.
WE ARE NEVER ALONE! This is a true story that occurred in 1994 and is told by Lloyd Glenn:
Throughout our lives we are blessed with spiritual experiences, some of which are very sacred and confidential, and others, although sacred, are meant to be shared.
Last summer my
family had a spiritual experience that had a lasting and profound impact
on us, one we feel must be shared. It's a message of love. It's a message
of regaining perspective, and restoring proper balance and renewing
priorities.
In humility, I pray that I might, in
relating this story, give you a gift my little son, Brian, gave our
family one summer day last year.
On July 22nd I was enroute to Washington
DC for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary, until we
landed in Denver for a plane change.
As I collected my belongings from
the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the
United Customer Service Representative immediately.
I thought nothing of
it until I reached the door to leave the plane and I heard a
gentleman asking every male if they were Mr. Glenn.
At this point, I knew
something was wrong and my heart sank.
When I got off the plane, a
solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an
emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is
involved, but I will take you to the phone so you can call the
hospital."
My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over.
Woodenly, I followed this stranger to the distant telephone where I
called the number he gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was
put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three-year-old
son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several
minutes, and that when my wife had found him he was dead.
The return flight seemed
to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours
after the garage door had come down.
By the next day, he was pronounced as
having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his
miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital. You cannot imagine
our gratitude and joy. As we took Brian home we felt a unique reverence
for the life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who
brush death.
So what followed, there was a special spirit about
our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little
brother. My wife and I were much closer to each other, and all of us were
very close as a whole family. Life took on a less stressful pace.
Almost a month later to the day of the
accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down mommy, I
have something to tell you." At this time in his life, Brian usually
spoke in small phrases, so to say a large sentence surprised my wife.
"Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well,
it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you
couldn't hear me. I started to cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then
the 'birdies' came." "
A
sweet reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet
lighter than air.
"What did the birdies look like?" she asked.
"Then what happened?" she asked.
Brian went on to tell her that the "birdies" had told
him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the "birdies". He
said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck and an
ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and
he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay, but the man
couldn't hear him. He said the birdies told him he had to go with the
ambulance, but they would be near him.
He said, they were so pretty and
so peaceful, and he didn't want to come back.\
Then the bright light came.
He said that the light was so bright and so warm, and he loved the bright light so much. Someone was in the bright light and put their
arms around him, and told him, "I love you, but you have to go back. You
have to play baseball, and tell everyone about the birdies." Then the
person in the bright light kissed him and waved bye-bye. Then, woosh, the
big sound came and they went into the clouds.
The story went on for an
hour. He taught us that "birdies" were always with us, but we don't see
them because we look with our eyes, and we don't hear them because we
listen with our ears. But they are always there. You can only see them in
here (he put his hand over his heart). They whisper the things to help us
to do what is right because they love us so much. Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy. You have a plan. Daddy has a plan.
Everyone has a
plan. We must all live our plan and keep our promises. The birdies
help us to do that because they love us so much."
In the weeks that
followed, he often came to us and told all or part of it again and again.
Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or
out of order. A few times, he added further bits of information and
clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze
us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he
spoke of his "birdies". Everywhere he went, he told strangers about the
"birdies".Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him
strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on
their faces and smiled. Needless to say, we have not been the same ever
since that day, and I pray we never will be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An Angel To Watch over You
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yesterday is history.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
live and savor every moment.....this is not a dress rehearsal!
THE OLD MULE
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell
into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' --
or --whatever mules do when they fall into wells.
After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with
the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the
trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told
them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury
the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his
neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought
struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load
of dirt landed on his back... HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!
This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it
off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage
himself.
No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed
the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND
STEPPING UP!
You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and
exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well!
What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him... All
because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. Hey, that's life!
If we face our problems and respond to them positively and refuse to
give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity... the adversities that
come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to
benefit and bless us!
Remember that forgiveness -- faith -- prayer -- praise and hope all
are excellent ways to "shake it off and step up" out of the wells in
which we find ourselves!
Submitted by, Chuck, Tampa, Fl.
Thanks Chuck.........
Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were
meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to
help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know
who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, professor, long
lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with
them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some
profound way. And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible,
painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without
overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential,
strength,
willpower, or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of
good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer
stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small
tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight,
flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly
pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you
experience, help to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the
most poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart forgive them, for
they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of
being cautious to when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them
back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way,
they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.
Make every day count.
Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you
possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.
Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen.
Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your
head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great
individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it
will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life
anything you wish.
Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.
Most importantly, if you love someone tell them, for you never
know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day
you live.
************************
Submitted by, Donna, Holyrood, Ks.
I have in my hands two boxes
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
With curiosity, I opened the black
I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,
We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to a friend today just to let them know that you are thinking of them, and that they are a joy in your life.
Submitted by, Annie, Tulsa, Ok.
”THE OLD FISHERMAN”
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of
John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the
upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the
door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly
taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped,
shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face-lopsided
from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said,
I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked
the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he
held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him
a few minutes. It didn't take long time to see that this old man had an
oversized heart crowded into that tiny
body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her
five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back
injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other
sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was
grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a
form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep
going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him.
When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the
little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before
he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said,
"Could I please come back and stay the next time I have
a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He
paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home.
Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I
told him he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a
gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had
ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so
that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I
wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special
delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or
kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles
to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly
precious.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment
our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you
keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose
roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or
twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness'
would have been easier to bear.
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we
learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint. Recently I was
visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she showed me her flowers, we
came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting
with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented,
rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in
the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and
knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind
starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can
put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining
just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God
might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman.
"He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long
ago-and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the
outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel
16:7b)
Submitted by, Jim, St. Charles, Mo.
”The Most Beautiful Flower”
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath the long,
straggly branches of an old willow tree.
Do you love Him?
THE POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long,
”The Fence”
There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of
nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail
in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the
fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to
hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He
told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull
out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days
passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all
the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said,
You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The
fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a
scar and can leave holes just like this one. You can put a knife in a
man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry,
the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of
praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your
friends how much you care.
This letter, written by a student, was printed in the news paper.......
Dear God,
Sincerely,
Dear Student,
Sincerely,
All over the grounds of the school the bodies of students lay,
and parents and students everywhere were starting to pray.
Now our God is allowed back on the campus of the school,
but not any other time for you see it is against the Federal rule.
The Supreme court said we must not allow prayer by students,
or allow on the walls of our schools the Ten Commandments.
They said "If they read them they may think, and become reflective
and could possibly obey them, and this is not a permissible objective."
We replaced God with Humanism and the Religion of Evolution,
and placed in the mind of our students the elements of confusion.
We tell them not to kill others, yet teach the toughest will survive.
Get what you want in life, it's justified as long as you can stay alive.
We have tried to make our schools safe by putting in metal detectors,
but guns and knives are not the problem it is simply the social reflectors.
For if all weapons were kept out, it would not give students purpose or
love, a change in the heart is needed, and that's best done with help from above.
Remember when we had prayer, and God's commandments were read,
and chewing gum and being tardy was the worst problem that we had.
Now murder, drugs, assault, teen pregnancy, and survival of the fittest
rule, but guns and knives were never a problem, till we kicked God out of school.
Poetry by, Dr. Howard
Stages of Faith
Where are you in the Stages of Faith?
1. Historical Faith.....We get this from our parents.
2. Temporary Faith...We are filled with the Spirit when we attend some spiritual function.
3. Saved Faith...........We are saved...now leave me alone we don't need anymore.
4. Check List Faith....We check off the list what we have...saved...check yes and ect.
5. Volume Faith.........We can whoop and holler with the best to raise up our faith.
6. Gift Faith................We have all the gifts working out of us and nothing going through us.
7. Ministry Faith.........What is ministry faith? Romans 12.
1. Being with Jesus. Mark 3:14.
2. Being like Jesus. Incarnational Presence.
3. Faithful to Jesus.
REMEMBER:
After living a "decent" life my time on earth came to an end. The first
thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I
thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come
in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the
"prosecutor," he was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at
me, he definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and
looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man
whose appearance seemed very familiar to me. The corner door flew open and
there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome
presence as he moved across the room and I couldn't take my eyes off of
him. As he took his seat behind the bench he said "Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and said "My name is Satan and I am here to show you
why this man belongs in hell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I told,
things that I stole and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of
other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke
the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't
look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins that even I
had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all
these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat
there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been
guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life-couldn't that
at least equal out part of the harm I've done. Satan finished with a fury
and said "This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged
and there is not a person who can prove otherwise. Justice will finally be
served this day."
When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the
bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and
beckoned him to come forward. As he got up and started walking I was able
to see him now in his full splendor and majesty. Now I realized why he
seemed so familiar, this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.
He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge "Hi Dad" and then he
turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man had
sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes the wages of sins
is death and this man deserves to be punished". Jesus took a deep breath
and turned to his Father with out-stretched arms and proclaimed "However, I
died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has
accepted me as his Savior, so he is mine." My Lord continued with "His
name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from me.
Satan still does not understand yet, this man is not to be given justice
but rather mercy."
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at his Father and replied
Christ lovingly smiled and said "Everyone that has come to me and asked
me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, Paid in Full."
Oh what a blessing! There is no greater commandment than to love your
neighbor as yourself!
PRAYER (4/28/99)
Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now! Lord, show
them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to
minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give
them Your peace & mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed
confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness,
or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, & strength
as they learn submission to Your leading. Where there is spiritual
stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by
drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal
Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking
them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their
finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and friends to
support, and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the demonic forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it, I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name! AMEN
When the good Lord was creating Mothers, He was into his 6th day of
"overtime" when the angel appeared and said " You are doing alot of
fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said," Have you read the specs on this order?"
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands....No way!"
"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "It's the
3 pairs of eyes that Mothers have to have."
"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. " One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks,
"What are you doing in there?"when she already knows.
"Lord," said the angel touching His arm gently, "Come to bed. Tomorrow...."
"I can't." said the Lord, "I'm so close to creating something so close to
myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick......can feed
a family of 6 on 1 pound of hamburger, and get a 9-year-old to stand in the
shower."
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she
sighed.
"But tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You can not imagine what this Mother can do or endure."
"Can it think?"
"Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the
Creator.
Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a
leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much in
this model."
"It's not a leak," said the Lord, "it is a tear."
"what is it for?"
"It's for joy, sadness, dissappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."
You are a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there."
Submitted by, Michael, Victoria, Ks.
Subject: A Thought
One Drink
There's a small cross by the side of Highway 128, near the town of
Boonville. If this cross could talk, it would tell you this sad story:
Seven years ago my brother, Michael, was at a friend's ranch. They
decided to go out for dinner. Joe arrived and volunteered to drive - after
just one drink.
Lightheartedly, the four friends traveled the winding road. They didn't
know where it would end - nobody did. Suddenly, they swerved into the
opposite lane, colliding with an oncoming car.
Back home we were watching E.T. on video in front of a warm fire. Then
we went to bed. At 2:00 A.M. a police officer woke my mom with the
devastating news. Michael had been killed.
In the morning, I found my mother and sister crying. I stood there
bewildered. "What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
Mom took a deep breath. "Come here..."
Thus began the grueling journey through grief, where all roads lead to
nowhere. It still hurts to remember that day.
The only thing that helps is telling my story, hoping you will remember
it if you are tempted to get into a car with someone who has had a drink -
even just one drink.
Joe chose the road to nowhere. He was convicted of manslaughter and
served time. However, the real punishment is living with the consequences of
his actions. He left us with an ache in our hearts that will never go away,
a nightmare that will haunt him - and us - for the rest of our lives. And a
small cross by the side of Highway 128.
Stand up for Jusus
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at
USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply
committed atheist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his
impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no
one had ever had the
courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at
times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his
reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his
class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in
Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They
knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who
believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of
chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to
prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it."
And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the
classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the
students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students
thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians
had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to
stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He
was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was
required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for
three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have
the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the
class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith ... he
hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, " If there is anyone here
who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of
300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the
classroom.The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed, he
would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground."
He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his
fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his
leg, and off his
shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The
professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at
the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.
The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the
room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300
students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of
His power through Jesus.
You have 2 choices.
1. Delete this and never look at it again.
I pray you will choose option 2. Sometimes all we have to do is
STANDUP.
Subject:The Poor
ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BOY
One day...a wealthy family man took his son on a
trip to the country so he could have his son see how poor country
people were..
They stayed one day and one night in the farm of a
very humble farm house.
At the end of the trip and back home the father
asked the son: What did you think of the trip?
The son replied: Very nice Dad
At the end of the son's reply the father was
speechless and his son added:
Isn't it true that all depends on the crystal you
use to see life.
Submit your stories to:
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Cover Page
CPR had
been performed by a neighbor, who is a doctor, and the paramedics had
continued the treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital.
By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live,
but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor
to the heart.
After speaking with the medical staff, my wife sounded worried but not
hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness.
When I walked into the intensive
care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son lying so
still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a
respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a
reassuring smile. It all seemed like a terrible dream.
I was filled in with the details and given a guarded prognosis. Brian was going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was ok, two miracles
in and of themselves. But only time would tell if his brain received any
damage.
Throughout the seemingly endless hours, my wife was calm. She
felt that Brian would eventually be all right. I hung on to her words and
faith like a lifeline. All that night and the next day Brian remained
unconscious. It seemed like forever since I had left for my business trip
the day before.
Finally at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained
consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever
heard spoken. He said, "Daddy hold me" and he reached for me with his
little arms.
Perspective seemed to be more focused, and balance much easier to gain
and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound.
The story is not over (smile)!
She sat down with him on his bed and he began his sacred and remarkable
story.
The birdies?" my wife asked puzzled.
"Yes," he
replied. "The birdies made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage.
They took care of me."
"They did?"
"Yes" he said. "One of the birdies
came and got you. She came to tell you I got stuck under the door."
My wife realized that a three-year-old had no concept
of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to him
from beyond as "birdies" because they were up in the air like birds that
fly.
Brian answered, "They
were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them
had green and white. But some of them had on just white."
"Did they say
anything?"
"Yes" he answered. "They told me the baby would be all right."
"The baby?" my wife asked confused.
Brian answered. "The baby lying on the garage floor." He went on, "You came out and opened the
garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not
leave."
My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had
indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body and seeing his crushed chest
and recognizable features, knowing he was already dead, she looked up
around her and whispered, "Don't leave us Brian, please stay if you
can."
As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken,
she realized that the spirit had left his body and was looking down from
above on this little lifeless form.
"We went on a trip." He said, "far, far away." He grew agitated
trying to say the things he didn't seem to have the words for.
"We flew so fast
up in the air. They're so pretty, Mommy," he added. "And there is lots
and lots of birdies.
" My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet
comforting spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had
never before known.
Some people come into our lives and quickly go...
Some people become friends and stay a while...
leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts...
and we are never quite the same because we have made a good friend!
Tomorrow a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present!
Today is the tomorrow you
were worried about yesterday.
Was it worth it?
*****************************************************************
Which God gave me to hold
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black,
And all your joys in the gold."
Both my joys and sorrows I store
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before
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 wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile at me.
"My child, they're all here with me."
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."
"Good evening.
I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a
treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til
morning. "He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with
no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my
face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
treatments..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced
me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves
early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest
on the porch.
Thanks Jim, this truly is something to ponder...
Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown, for the world was
intent on dragging me down.
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath
approached me, all tired from play.
He stood right before me with his head tilted down and said with great
excitement, "Look what I found!"
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight, with its petals
all worn -- not enough rain, or too little light.
Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I faked a small
smile and then shifted away.
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side and placed the flower
to his nose and declared with overacted surprise,
It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too. That's why I picked it;
here, it's for you."
The weed before me was dying or dead. Not vibrant of colors: orange,
yellow or red.
But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for
the flower, and replied, "Just what I need."
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air
without reason or plan.
It was then that I noticed for the very first time that weed-toting boy
could not see: he was blind.
I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun as I thanked him for
picking the very best one.
"You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play, unaware of the
impact he'd had on my day.
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a self-pitying woman
beneath an old willow tree.
How did he know of my self-indulged plight? Perhaps from his heart,
he'd been blessed with true sight.
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see the problem was
not with the world; the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see
the beauty in life, And appreciate every second that's mine.
And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose and breathed in the
fragrance of a beautiful rose.
And smiled as I watched that young boy, Another weed in his hand,
about to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.
had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
no time to give to souls in need
But at last came the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
and I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder..
Why didn't you save the children of Littleton School?
Student
I am not allowed in schools.
God
Mark 3:14 tells us that the first thing is to spend time with Jesus, then comes preaching, teaching, and healing. At the end of our lives when we are alone Jesus will be hanging in there for us when no one else will.
This is when you are there, Jesus is somehow there too.
You are a living reminder of Jesus Christ.
Your doing well, will flow out of your being.
You are not performing, but what you do is from your being.
You are responding to God's calling with a loving response.
Whatever position in life God has called you to, give your all with a loving response.
BE FAITHFUL TO JESUS WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING!!!
"There is nothing else that needs to be done, I've done it all". The
Judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down and the following
words bellowed from his lips- "This man is free-the penalty for him has
already been paid in full, case dismissed." As my Lord led me away I could
hear Satan ranting and raving "I won't give up, I'll win the next one." I
asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next "Have you ever
lost a case."
She has to be completly washable but not plastic;
Run on black coffee and leftovers-
Have a lap that dissappears when she stands up;
A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a dissappointed love affair;
And six pairs of hands;
Another pair in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but has come to know, and of course the ones in the front that can look at a chiild when he goofs up and say, "I understand and I love you!" without so much uttering a word.
Thanks Mike.....
Dedicated with love to the memory of Michael Laddish
His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire
semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
2. Pass this along to your Christian and non-Christian friends, giving
them encouragement we all need every day.
Father: Did you noticed how poor they were?
> Son: Yes
> Father: What did you learn?
Son: I learned that we have one dog in the
house...and they have four.
We have a fountain in the garden and they have
a stream that has no end.
We have
imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars.
Our garden goes to the edge of our property,
they have the entire horizon as their back yard.
"Thank you dad for showing me how poor we really
are."
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