Just sharing.

Imagine

Imagine the following:

It's a Wednesday night and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot and says,"Turn on a radio, turn on a radio."

And while the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made: "Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital dying from the mystery flu."

Within hours it seems, this thing just sweeps across the country. People are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. It's as though it's just sweeping in from the borders.

And then, all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made.

It's going to take the blood of somebody who hasn't been infected, and so, sure enough, all through the Midwest, through all those channels of emergency broadcasting, everyone is asked to do one simple thing: Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood type taken. That's all we ask of you.

When you hear the sirens go off in your neighborhood, please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals. Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your wife and your kids are out there, and they take your blood type and they say,"Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home."

You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going on and if this is the end of the world.

Suddenly a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. Wait a minute. Hold on! And they say,"It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the disease. We think he has got the right type."

Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another -- some are even laughing.

It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood type is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine."

As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying. But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and you wife aside and says, "May we see you for a moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we need...we need you to sign a consent form."

You begin to sign and then you see that the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty. "H-how many pints?"

And that is when the old doctor's smile fades and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared.

We need it all!"

"But-but...You don't understand."

"We are talking about the world here. Please sign. We-we need it all!"

"But can't you give him a transfusion?"

"If we had clean blood we would. Can you sign?"

"Would you sign?" In numb silence, you do. then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?"

Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?"

Can you take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be. Do you understand that?"

And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we've--got to get started. People all over the world are dying." Can you leave?

Can you walk out while he is saying, "Dad? Mom? Dad? Why - why have you forsaken me?"

And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks sleep through it, and some folks don't even come because they go to the lake, and some folks come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care.

Would you want to jump up and say, "MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU CARE?"

Is that what GOD wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?"

"Father, seeing it from your eyes breaks our hearts. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the great Love you have for us

Important Work


The last to board the plane from Seattle to Dallas were a woman and three children. "Oh please don’t sit next to me," I thought. "I’ve got so much work to do." But a moment later an eleven-year-old girl and her nine-year-old brother were climbing over me while the woman and a four-year-old boy sat behind. Almost immediately the older children started bickering while the child behind intermittently kicked my seat. Every few minutes the boy would ask his sister, "Where are we now?" "Shut up!" she’d snap and a new round of squirming and whining would ensue.

"Kids have no concept of important work," I thought, quietly resenting my predicament. Then in my mind a voice as clear as a song simply said, Love them. "These kids are brats, and I’ve got important work to do," I countered to myself. My inner voice simply replied, Love them as if they were your children.

Having heard the "Where-are-we-now?" question repeatedly, I turned to the in-flight magazine map, in spite of my important work.

I explained our flight path, dividing it into quarter-hour flight increments and estimated when we would land in Dallas.

Soon they were telling me about their trip to Seattle to see their father who was in the hospital. As we talked they asked about flying, navigation, science and grown-ups’ views about life. The time passed quickly and my "important" work was left undone.

As we were preparing to land, I asked how their father was doing now. They grew quiet and the boy simply said, "He died."

"Oh, I’m so sorry."

"Yeah, me too. But it’s my little brother I’m most worried about. He’s taking it real hard."

I suddenly realized what we’d really been talking about was the most important work we ever face: living, loving and growing in spite of heartbreak. When we said good-bye in Dallas the boy shook my hand and thanked me for being his "airline teacher." And I thanked him for being mine

I Will Not


I will not permit depression to rule me for I have fruit of the Spirit which is joy.

I will not permit the realities of my finances to hold me back, my Father has
infinite wealth and I am His child.

I will not allow food to rule me. I was given dominion over the earth not the other
way around.

I will not allow what the President, my boss, my spouse or anyone else does give
me an excuse for not doing all that I can do to better my world.

I will not allow the few negative things of this world to take my time and focus
from the many positive things.

I will not allow what is behind me to steer the course for what is ahead of me.

I will not worry about what I am going to do next year, next week or tomorrow. I
will do what I should and need to do Today.

[video=youtube_share;-15v9iworAU]https://youtu.be/-15v9iworAU[/video]

In The Shadow


In 1967 while taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray who also was a student at the school and training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a highdiver.

Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church, so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him. He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin.

Finally the day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he realized his own need of a Redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Savior. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. But his reply was a strong "no."

In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call and it was Charles. He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses that I had given him about salvation. I gave him the reference to several passages and asked if I could meet with him. He declined my offer and thanked me for the scripture. I could tell that he was greatly troubled, but I did not know where he was or how to help him.

Because he was training for the Olympic games, Charles had special privileges at the University pool facilities. Some time between 10:30 and 11:00 that evening he decided to go swim and practice a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area.

Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind.

He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. It was the shape of a cross. He could bear the burden of his sin no longer. His heart broke and he sat down on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him. He trusted Jesus Christ twenty some feet in the air.

Suddenly, the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his platform he saw an empty pool which had been drained for repairs. He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross had stopped him from disaster.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (KJV)

Jesus

He's the king of all creation he's my Savoir,
He's the one who died so I might live again;
Someday He's coming back to claim me,
Jesus is my Savior's name.

He was sent upon this earth as a baby,
God's purest gift sent from up above;
He grew to be a man without sinning,
He came to bless us with his Fathers love.

He was scorned and rejected by His people,
He was nailed upon a cross to be our curse;
But He never once forgot He loved His people,
And the reason why he came upon the earth.

He came that our sins could be forgiven,
And the face of God once more we could see;
He came that through His death and His rising,
Over Satan He has won the victory.

Now He's coming back some day to claim me,
And to take me back to the Fathers side;
He's coming back to claim His people,
So that with Him they can always abide.

Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.

Help others.
Drink deeply from good books.

Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

The Tongue


It is a helpful tool
That is used as a dangerous weapon

It is so light
Yet we fail to hold it

Instead of using it as a magic wand
To tap a bit of encouragement upon one’s heart
Or a smile upon one’s face
We use it as a sword to cut people down
Leaving their hearts broken
And their self-esteem low

Instead of using it
To turn ourselves into little angels
Placing blessings upon one’s life
We use it to turn ourselves
Into fire-breathing dragons
Who insists on one’s life being taken

We use it to curse others
Not realizing we are really cursing ourselves
We must learn to hold this dangerous weapon
Before we kill others as well as ourselves

We must learn to watch the words
That we allow to roll off of it

We must allow it to be known
As a piece of gold from heaven
Instead of the flames from hell

Jesus' Hands


Sir Isaac Newton once said,
in the absence of any proof
the thumb alone would convince
me that Jesus lives and is not dead.

Nothing in nature rivals the hands combination,
of agility, sensitivity,and sensation.
Just as artists have tried to visualize
the face of Jesus Christ,
I try to visualize his hands through
the various stages of his life.

I imagine his hands as an infant,
soft as a powder puff.
I imagine his hands as a carpenter,
callused and rough.
I imagine the healing hands of God's son,
he could have healed everyone at once,
but he preferred touching them one by one.

I imagine his hands on the cross
and what it was like,
for those beautiful healing hands
to be pierced with a spike..

His weight hung from them,
releasing his blood for all to see.
Is there a sadder sight than that of
the Son of God hanging, dying from a tree?

He suffered for us but did not complain,
he arose from the dead but the scars remained.
He chose to keep the scars as a symbol to everyone
that our sins have been paid for by Gods son.

He knows what life and suffering on earth is like,
his hands prove it,
with scars from the spikes.

beensetfree said:

Jesus' Hands


Sir Isaac Newton once said,
in the absence of any proof
the thumb alone would convince
me that Jesus lives and is not dead.

Nothing in nature rivals the hands combination,
of agility, sensitivity,and sensation.
Just as artists have tried to visualize
the face of Jesus Christ,
I try to visualize his hands through
the various stages of his life.

I imagine his hands as an infant,
soft as a powder puff.
I imagine his hands as a carpenter,
callused and rough.
I imagine the healing hands of God's son,
he could have healed everyone at once,
but he preferred touching them one by one.

I imagine his hands on the cross
and what it was like,
for those beautiful healing hands
to be pierced with a spike..

His weight hung from them,
releasing his blood for all to see.
Is there a sadder sight than that of
the Son of God hanging, dying from a tree?

He suffered for us but did not complain,
he arose from the dead but the scars remained.
He chose to keep the scars as a symbol to everyone
that our sins have been paid for by Gods son.

He knows what life and suffering on earth is like,
his hands prove it,
with scars from the spikes.

Click to expand...

Brother Beensetfree,

This is a piece of wonderful ' poem'. How you manage to get this? Someone with musical talent should use this to compose a hymn!

Thanks for this 'poem' of God.

Psalm23

Hi bro Psalm. Glad you like the post/poem. Most of the posts are sourced direct from the internet but a few are from other brothers and then I repost here.
Glad you are well.
Blessings.

Psalm23 said:

Brother Beensetfree,

This is a piece of wonderful ' poem'. How you manage to get this? Someone with musical talent should use this to compose a hymn!

Thanks for this 'poem' of God.

Psalm23

Click to expand...

Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from
prayer.

Jesus Really Loves You


Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said excitedly,

"Okay Dad, I'm ready!"

His Pastor Dad asked, "Ready for what?

"Dad, it's time we gather our Bible tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's really pouring down rain."

The boy gave his Dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answered slowly, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently the boy asks, "Dad, can I go -- Please? Come on Dad.."

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go.

Here's the tracts; be careful son."

"Thanks, Dad!" He jumped up and with that he was off and out the door dashing into the rain. This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel tract. After 2-hours of walking in the rain he was soaked to the bone-chilled wet and down to his very last Bible tract. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell -- but nobody answered. He rang it again and again bit still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this 11-year-old trooper turned to leave but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again, and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "Yes? What can I do for you, son?"
With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that, JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!

I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love." With that he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed, "Thank you, son! And God bless you!" he heard a cheerful uplift to her voice.

Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit and as the service began he asked, "Does anybody have a testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face. "None of you in this Church know me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband has passed on, some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart . . . as I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

"So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. "Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'Wait, I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'

"I waited and waited-- but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly.

I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be?! Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me!' "I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes!

"There on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life! His smile! Oh, I could never describe it to you! And the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, that had long been dead, to leap to life again, as he exclaimed with cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.'

"Then he gave me this Gospel tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out, into the damp cold and rain, I then closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

"You see, I am now a happy child of the KING, and since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel tract I have come here to personally say, 'Thank you to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time, and by doing so, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'"

There were now no dry eyes in the church. As shouts of praise and honor to the KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has had a more glorious moment and probably this Universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son, except for one: This Father, God, also allowed His Son, Jesus, to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with unspeakable, and as all of Heaven shouted praises and honor to the King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

There may be someone, reading this, who is also going through a dark, cold and lonely time in your soul. You may be a Christian, for we are not without problems, or you may not yet know the King. Whatever the case, and whatever the problem or situation you find yourself in, and no matter how dark it may seem, I want you to know that I just came to tell you, "JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!"

"'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.'" John 3:16-18 (NIV)

Just Checkin' In



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 that the man hadn't shaved in awhile. His shirt was kinda' shabby and his coat was worn and frayed. The man knelt, bowed his head, then arose and walked away.

In the days that followed each noontime came this chap and each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap. Well, the minister's suspicions grew, and robbery was his main fear. He decided to stop the man and ask him, "Watcha' doing' here?"

The old man worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. "I stay only moments, see, 'cause the factory is so far away; As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda' 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. I don't know much of how to pray, but I think about You every day. So, Jesus, this is Jim checking in."

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, 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 every day. So, Jesus, this is me checking in."

It was past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry.

He went to the factory and asked about Jim and found out 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, 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 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. I always love to hear you pray, I think about you each day, and so Jim, this is Jesus checking in."

Life Inside the Womb


Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived in the womb. Seconds, minutes, hours passed as the two embryonic lives developed. The spark of life grew and each tiny brain began to take shape and form. With the development of their brain came feeling, and with feeling, perception -- a perception of surroundings, of each other, and their own lives. They discovered that life was good and they laughed and rejoiced in their hearts.

One said to the other, "We are sure lucky to have been conceived and to have this wonderful world."

The other chimed in, "Yes, blessed be our mother who gave us life and each other."

Each of the twins continued to grow and soon their arms and fingers, legs and toes began to take shape. They stretched their bodies and churned and turned in their little world. They explored it and found the life cord which gave them life from their mother's blood. They were grateful for this new discovery and sang, "How great is the love of our mother -- that she shares all she has with us!"

Weeks passed into months and with the advent of each new month, they noticed a change in each other and in themselves.

"We are changing," one said. "What can it mean?"

"It means," said the other, "that we are drawing near to birth."

An unsettling chill crept over the two. They were afraid of birth, for they knew that it meant leaving their wonderful world behind.

Said the one, "Were it up to me, I would live here forever."

"But we must be born," said the other. "It has happened to all the others." Indeed, there was evidence inside the womb that the mother had carried life before theirs. "And I believe that there is life after birth, don't you?"

"How can there be life after birth?" cried the one. "Do we not shed our life cord and also the blood tissue when we are born? And have you ever talked to anyone that has been born? Has anyone ever re-entered the womb after birth to describe what birth is like? NO!" As he spoke, he fell into despair, and in his despair he moaned, "If the purpose of conception and our growth inside the womb is to end in birth, then truly our life is senseless." He clutched his precious life cord to his breast and said, "And if this is so, and life is absurd, then there really can be no mothers!"

"But there is a mother," protested the other. "Who else gave us nourishment? Who else created this world for us?"

"We get our nourishment from this cord -- and our world has always been here," said the one. "And if there is a mother, where is she? Have you ever seen her? Does she ever talk to you? No! We invented the mother when we were young because it satisfied a need in us. It made us feel secure and happy."

Thus, while the one raved and despaired, the other resigned himself to birth and placed his trust in the hands of his mother. Hours turned into days, and days into weeks. And soon it was time. They both knew their birth was at hand, and they both feared what they did not know. As the one was first to be conceived, so he was the first to be born, the other following.

They cried as they were born into the light. The coughed out fluid and gasped the dry air. And when they were sure they had been born, they opened their eyes -- seeing life after birth for the very first time. What they saw was the beautiful eyes of their mother, as they were cradled lovingly in her arms. They were home.

"No eye has seen, no ear had heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Love 4.0 Upgrade


Not just another customer service phone call.......

Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software Company help desk. How may I help you?

Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVEv4.0...you know.... the freeware. I don't understand it. Can tell me how to install it?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?

Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. LOVE is a unique program, there is no other like it in the world. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background, you will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.

Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run smoother?

Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also, FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say "unable to connect" will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.

Customer: That's exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But what about the bad programs?

CS Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs cant be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you wont be able to write with the fonts "BADWORDS12" or "HARSHNESS10".

Customer: That's a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?

CS Rep: They sure are ma'am.

Customer: How do I get the upgrades?

CS Rep: That's easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Harddrive Email And Remote Terminal (HEART) that it comes in contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your HEART. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.

Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?

CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART
ma'am?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep: What programs are running ma'am?

Customer: Let me see....I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

CS Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEART's in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. What should I do?

CS Rep: What does the message say?

Customer: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS". What does that mean?

CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but In non- technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others.

Customer: So what should I do?

CS Rep: Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

CS Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

CS Rep: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!

CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go...

Customer: Yes?

CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thank you for your help.

Love For His Sister


Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes ...every three.... every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?

Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse.

The pediatric specialist regretfully had to tell the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby - but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral.

Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care.

Karen made up her mind, though. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not! If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. But the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed." The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"

Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey---"

Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don't take my sunshine away-"

As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.

"Keep on singing, sweetheart!!!" "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms..."

Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep on singing, Michael." Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take my sunshine away..."

The next, day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman's Day Magazine called it "The Miracle of a Brother's Song." The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love! NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Lovestricken



Sitting by the window gazing at the street,
We didn't say a word but our eyes would first meet.
How can it be? We'll just have to see.
Second time in a class 'sides me you took the seat.

If love is a rhythm I've found the perfect beat.
What draws me to you is the smile that's so sweet.
The more I get to see you the more I believe
Love is patient and is kind, it does not envy, it is divine.

You are so gentle, simple and kind.
The thoughts about you are always on my mind.
Rain has come and snow has fallen
For you my heart longs in a constant callin'.

You are beautiful and quiet, sweet and shy.
What is happening to me? Can't explain why.
You possess the truth in the inward part.
A broken spirit and a contrite heart

Mommy Think Twice

Its only the first month,
and now I am only a seed,
so keep healthy mommy
cause your good health I will need.

You went to the doctor today
and you listened to my heart beat
and through the little monitor
you saw my hands and feet.

Another month has passed,
and I have already got a name,
once I come into your life mommy,
It will never be the same.

One more month has passed,
and now the month is three,
mommy I'm getting so much bigger,
you're gonna be so proud of me.

What has happened mommy?
I am already in month four
and I overheard you tell the doctor,
that you don't want me anymore.

Now I'm four and a half months
and I can finally open an eye.
My body is growing fast
but it's not too long before I die.

A few more weeks have passed
and now the week is twenty-seven.
Its only a few more days
and I will be in heaven.

I am in heaven mommy
and now the month is nine,
now you can see for yourself
that I would have been just fine.

Go on with your life mommy
and pretend I was never there
cause deep down in my heart
I know that you still care.

If I had one wish mommy,
I would wish to be with you
and if I had a chance
there's nothing I wouldn't do

I hope you've learned from you mistakes
and I only wish you knew
that even though you took my life, mommy
I will always love you!

Mothers


Warmer than the Summer sun,
softer than the breeze;
sweeter than a rose in bloom,
a Mothers all of these.

She will always stand by you throughout your childhood years,
she'll be around to comfort you if you should shed a tear;
She will always pick you up,

on matter why you fall;
because the love of Mothers,
is the strongest love of all.
Yes Mothers are Gods angels,

but remember they're on loan;
and one day in the future,
God will call them home.
so if you have a Mother,

please show her that you care,
and let her know you love her,
and the memories you share.