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- Thread starter beensetfree
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A man offered to pay a sum of money to his twelve year-old daughter if she mowed the lawn.
The girl went at the task with great zest and by evening the whole lawn had been beautifully mowed - well,
everything except a large uncut patch of grass in one corner.
When the man said he couldn't pay the sum agreed upon because the whole lawn hadn't been mowed.
The girl said she was ready to forgo the money, but would not cut the grass in the patch.
Curious to find out why, he checked the uncut patch. There, right in the centre of the patch, sat a large toad.
The girl had been too tender-hearted to run over it with the lawn-mower.
The girl went at the task with great zest and by evening the whole lawn had been beautifully mowed - well,
everything except a large uncut patch of grass in one corner.
When the man said he couldn't pay the sum agreed upon because the whole lawn hadn't been mowed.
The girl said she was ready to forgo the money, but would not cut the grass in the patch.
Curious to find out why, he checked the uncut patch. There, right in the centre of the patch, sat a large toad.
The girl had been too tender-hearted to run over it with the lawn-mower.
Logic?
A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry
him on his back across a river. "Are you crazy?" exclaimed the
turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown."
"My dear turtle," laughed the scorpion, "if I were to sting you,
you would drown and I would go down with you.
Now where is the logic in that?"
"You're right!" cried the turtle. "Hop on!" The scorpion
climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a
mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle
resignedly said:
"Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there'd be no
logic in your stinging me. Then why did you do it?"
"It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning scorpion sadly
replied.
"It's just my character."
Be careful who you associate with.
A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry
him on his back across a river. "Are you crazy?" exclaimed the
turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown."
"My dear turtle," laughed the scorpion, "if I were to sting you,
you would drown and I would go down with you.
Now where is the logic in that?"
"You're right!" cried the turtle. "Hop on!" The scorpion
climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a
mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle
resignedly said:
"Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there'd be no
logic in your stinging me. Then why did you do it?"
"It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning scorpion sadly
replied.
"It's just my character."
Be careful who you associate with.
[video=youtube_share;F8EIjGXtCLk]http://youtu.be/F8EIjGXtCLk[/video]
ALL
====
He stood over my desk, a broken man but still holding together.
Mr. Willie Adams is a truck driver for our company.
He has worked for the company for 17 years.
He has been married for 39 years.
Last month, his wife died.
The death of a spouse is psychologically rated as the toughest
thing a person will ever deal with in life.
It was Mr. Adams toughest thing.
There was a statement that he made that really struck me.
"I have no guilt," he said.
"I did all for her that I could do in our 39 years. There was
nothing more that I could have done. If she asked for the moon,
I tried to reach up and grab it for her."
Those were his words. Those were his feelings.
He is not an academically educated man.
He is not rich by the world's standards.
But Mr. Adams had something that few possess,
an undying, unselfish love.
He said, "We married for love and made a vow 'till death do us
part' and we kept it."
It's the toughest thing that psychologists say we will ever
endure. Sooner or later, in all married couples, one must leave
the other behind.
Now is the time to begin traveling the path so that if you are
the one staying on the earth a little longer you can say,
"I did all that I could do, I did my best."
====
He stood over my desk, a broken man but still holding together.
Mr. Willie Adams is a truck driver for our company.
He has worked for the company for 17 years.
He has been married for 39 years.
Last month, his wife died.
The death of a spouse is psychologically rated as the toughest
thing a person will ever deal with in life.
It was Mr. Adams toughest thing.
There was a statement that he made that really struck me.
"I have no guilt," he said.
"I did all for her that I could do in our 39 years. There was
nothing more that I could have done. If she asked for the moon,
I tried to reach up and grab it for her."
Those were his words. Those were his feelings.
He is not an academically educated man.
He is not rich by the world's standards.
But Mr. Adams had something that few possess,
an undying, unselfish love.
He said, "We married for love and made a vow 'till death do us
part' and we kept it."
It's the toughest thing that psychologists say we will ever
endure. Sooner or later, in all married couples, one must leave
the other behind.
Now is the time to begin traveling the path so that if you are
the one staying on the earth a little longer you can say,
"I did all that I could do, I did my best."
Last edited:
[video=youtube_share;Q-jMSs6FqaI]http://youtu.be/Q-jMSs6FqaI[/video]
[video=youtube_share;JEBAHFFJdW8]http://youtu.be/JEBAHFFJdW8[/video]
An Unexpected Moment
It was hard to watch her fail. Physically she was growing
thinner and more stooped. Mentally she was losing her ability
to sort out reality. Initially, my grandmother had railed
angrily against the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that were
eroding who she had always been.
Eventually, the anger gave way to frustration and then
resignation. My grandmother had always been a strong woman.
She had a career before it was common for women to have careers.
She was independent. In her eighties, she was still dragging
out her stepladder every spring to wash all the windows in her
house. She was also a woman with a deep faith in God.
As my grandmother lost her ability to live alone, my father
moved her into his home. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren
were often in the house. She seemed to enjoy being surrounded
by the noise and activity of a large, extended family.
As she slipped further away from us mentally, my grandmother
would occasionally have moments of lucidity when she knew where
she was and recognized everyone around her. We never knew what
prompted those moments, when they would occur or how long they
would last.
Toward the end of her life she became convinced that her mother
had knit everything she owned. "Mama knit my boots," she would
tell strangers, holding up a foot clad in galoshes. "Mama knit
my coat," she would say with a vacant smile as she zipped up her
raincoat. Soon we were putting on her boots for her and helping
her zip up her coat.
During my grandmother's last autumn with us, we decided to take
a family outing. We packed up the cars and went to a local fair
for a day of caramel apples, craft booths and carnival rides.
Grandma loved flowers, so my dad bought her a rose. She carried
it proudly through the fair, stopping often to breathe in its
fragrance.
Grandma couldn't go on the carnival rides, of course, so she sat
on a bench close by and waited while the rest of the family
rode. Her moments of lucidity were now a thing of the past
having eluded her for months, but she seemed content to sit and
watch as life unfolded around her.
While the youngest members of the family ran, laughing to get in
line at the next ride, my father took my grandmother to the
nearest bench. A sullen-looking young woman already occupied
the bench but said she wouldn't mind sharing the bench.
"Mama knit my coat," my grandmother told the young woman as she
sat down.
We didn't let my grandmother out of our sight, and when we came
back to the bench to get her, the young woman was holding the
rose. She looked as though she had been crying. "Thank you for
sharing your grandmother with me," she said. Then she told us
her story. She had decided that day was to be her last on
Earth. In deep despair and feeling she had nothing to live for,
she was planning to go home and commit suicide.
While she sat on that bench with Grandma as the carnival noises
swirled around them, she found herself pouring out her troubles.
"Your grandmother listened to me," the young woman informed us.
"She told me about a time in her own life, during the
Depression, when she had lost hope. She told me that God loved
me and that He would watch over me and would help me make it
through my problems. She gave me this rose. She told me that
my life would unfold just like this rose and that I would be
surprised by its beauty. She told me my life was a gift. She
said she would be praying for me."
We stood, dumbfounded, as she hugged my grandmother and thanked
her for saving her life. Grandma just smiled a vacant smile and
patted her arm. As the young woman turned to leave, she waved
good-bye to us. Grandma waved back and then turned to look at
us, still standing in amazement.
"Mama knit my hat," she said.
~By Sara L. Henderson
It was hard to watch her fail. Physically she was growing
thinner and more stooped. Mentally she was losing her ability
to sort out reality. Initially, my grandmother had railed
angrily against the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that were
eroding who she had always been.
Eventually, the anger gave way to frustration and then
resignation. My grandmother had always been a strong woman.
She had a career before it was common for women to have careers.
She was independent. In her eighties, she was still dragging
out her stepladder every spring to wash all the windows in her
house. She was also a woman with a deep faith in God.
As my grandmother lost her ability to live alone, my father
moved her into his home. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren
were often in the house. She seemed to enjoy being surrounded
by the noise and activity of a large, extended family.
As she slipped further away from us mentally, my grandmother
would occasionally have moments of lucidity when she knew where
she was and recognized everyone around her. We never knew what
prompted those moments, when they would occur or how long they
would last.
Toward the end of her life she became convinced that her mother
had knit everything she owned. "Mama knit my boots," she would
tell strangers, holding up a foot clad in galoshes. "Mama knit
my coat," she would say with a vacant smile as she zipped up her
raincoat. Soon we were putting on her boots for her and helping
her zip up her coat.
During my grandmother's last autumn with us, we decided to take
a family outing. We packed up the cars and went to a local fair
for a day of caramel apples, craft booths and carnival rides.
Grandma loved flowers, so my dad bought her a rose. She carried
it proudly through the fair, stopping often to breathe in its
fragrance.
Grandma couldn't go on the carnival rides, of course, so she sat
on a bench close by and waited while the rest of the family
rode. Her moments of lucidity were now a thing of the past
having eluded her for months, but she seemed content to sit and
watch as life unfolded around her.
While the youngest members of the family ran, laughing to get in
line at the next ride, my father took my grandmother to the
nearest bench. A sullen-looking young woman already occupied
the bench but said she wouldn't mind sharing the bench.
"Mama knit my coat," my grandmother told the young woman as she
sat down.
We didn't let my grandmother out of our sight, and when we came
back to the bench to get her, the young woman was holding the
rose. She looked as though she had been crying. "Thank you for
sharing your grandmother with me," she said. Then she told us
her story. She had decided that day was to be her last on
Earth. In deep despair and feeling she had nothing to live for,
she was planning to go home and commit suicide.
While she sat on that bench with Grandma as the carnival noises
swirled around them, she found herself pouring out her troubles.
"Your grandmother listened to me," the young woman informed us.
"She told me about a time in her own life, during the
Depression, when she had lost hope. She told me that God loved
me and that He would watch over me and would help me make it
through my problems. She gave me this rose. She told me that
my life would unfold just like this rose and that I would be
surprised by its beauty. She told me my life was a gift. She
said she would be praying for me."
We stood, dumbfounded, as she hugged my grandmother and thanked
her for saving her life. Grandma just smiled a vacant smile and
patted her arm. As the young woman turned to leave, she waved
good-bye to us. Grandma waved back and then turned to look at
us, still standing in amazement.
"Mama knit my hat," she said.
~By Sara L. Henderson
The 23rd Channel
The T.V. is my shepherd.
My spiritual growth shall want.
It maketh me to sit down and do nothing for his name’s sake,
because it require all my spare time.
It keepeth me from doing my duty as a Christian,
because it presenteth me so many good shows that I must see.
It restoreth my knowledge of the things of the world,
and keepeth me from the study of God’s word.
It leadeth me in paths of not attending evening worship service,
and doing nothing in the Kingdom of God.
Yea, though I live to be a hundred,
I shall keep on viewing my T.V. as long as it will work,
for it is my closest companion.
Its sound and its picture,
they comfort me.
It presenteth entertainment before me,
and keepeth me from doing important things with my family.
It fills my head with ideas
which differ from those set forth in the word of God.
Surely no good thing will come of my life,
because my T.V. offereth me no good time to do the will of God;
thus I will dwell in the place of the devil and his angels
forever.
~Author Unknown~
The T.V. is my shepherd.
My spiritual growth shall want.
It maketh me to sit down and do nothing for his name’s sake,
because it require all my spare time.
It keepeth me from doing my duty as a Christian,
because it presenteth me so many good shows that I must see.
It restoreth my knowledge of the things of the world,
and keepeth me from the study of God’s word.
It leadeth me in paths of not attending evening worship service,
and doing nothing in the Kingdom of God.
Yea, though I live to be a hundred,
I shall keep on viewing my T.V. as long as it will work,
for it is my closest companion.
Its sound and its picture,
they comfort me.
It presenteth entertainment before me,
and keepeth me from doing important things with my family.
It fills my head with ideas
which differ from those set forth in the word of God.
Surely no good thing will come of my life,
because my T.V. offereth me no good time to do the will of God;
thus I will dwell in the place of the devil and his angels
forever.
~Author Unknown~
[video=youtube_share;PNJIhF_DY7E]http://youtu.be/PNJIhF_DY7E[/video]
Ashley Smith: An 'Unlikely Angel
The scene inside Atlanta’s Fulton County Courthouse was chaotic
and bloody.
A man allegedly overpowered a courthouse deputy who was
escorting him to his rape trial. He took the deputy's gun, then
shot and killed the judge and court reporter. The man then fled.
Police identified him as Brian Nichols.
Police launched a massive manhunt. As news spread, residents
locked their doors and waited.
In northern Atlanta, Ashley Smith had just moved into a new
apartment, looking for a fresh start in a new place. Around 2
a.m. that night, she emptied the last box and went to the store
for a pack of cigarettes.
When she returned she noticed a stranger sitting in his car. It
made her uneasy so she jumped out of her car and hurried to her
apartment. She put the keys in the lock, opened the door, but
the stranger was right behind her.
“I started to scream at the top of my lungs,” Ashley recalls.
“He came up to me [and told me], ‘Shut up, shut up.’ He pointed
the gun at me. ‘If you don't scream, I won't hurt you.’ So, I
stopped screaming. He pushed me in the house, shut the door, and
locked it. I immediately said, ‘God, look… he can do anything he
wants. He can rape me. Just let me walk out of here alive.’”
Ashley Smith did indeed survive the ordeal. After seven hours,
Nichols released Ashley and peacefully surrendered to SWAT
police. The headline from the Atlanta Journal Constitution read…
“An Angel Sent from God.”
So, who is Ashley Smith? What went on during her seven hours of
captivity? Was theirs a chance encounter or a divine
appointment?
Ashley says, “So he asked me if I knew who he was and I said no.
So he said, ‘Have you been watching TV at all? You know, the
whole court thing.’ I was like, ‘No way! You have to be kidding
me.’ He tore off his hat. ‘Now do you know who I am?’ With that
kind of warning, I knew exactly who he was. I knew I was going
to die. He had already killed three people to my knowledge. He
wasn’t going to stop. The look in his eye then… he wasn’t going
to stop.
“I immediately started silently praying to God, ‘Just please get
me out of here alive. He can do whatever he wants. I have been
through so many things in my life. I will get through whatever
happens to me. Please don’t kill me.’”
Nichols herded Ashley into the bathroom and told her to sit in
the tub. At once, Ashley thought of her five-year-old daughter.
“I just begged for my life. I kept bringing up Paige’s name. My
husband was killed; she doesn’t have a daddy. I’m all she has
left.”
Ashley feared she would suffer the same fate as her late
husband, Mack.
“When I buried Mack, I buried a piece of me. That was my goal --
to be his wife and be a good mother. When he died all my dreams
were taken away.
“Instead of turning to God. I dove so deep into drugs it was
hard to find myself again.”
It was 2003 and to cope with her husband’s death Ashley relied
on methamphetamines and prescription drugs to get through the
day. But the drugs were taking her further away from her
daughter.
“I stayed high 5 out of 7 days a week,” Ashley says. “I didn’t
sleep at all. The whole time I was screaming out, Why am I doing
this? I can’t stop."
Her mother Mary Jo and her Aunt Kim knew Paige couldn’t live in
this environment. They took legal action to get custody of
Paige.
“I hated myself for it -- that I couldn’t stop,” says Ashley. “I
didn't want to stop. I wanted to do this right now. I didn’t
want to feel the pain of Mack’s death and that was the excuse I
used.”
So now Ashley found herself sitting in her bathtub, held captive
by an accused rapist and alleged murderer. Nichols left the
bathroom.
“When he came back with the tape, I thought this was it. He’s
going to strangle me with it. He had an extension cord too. He’s
going to strangle me with the extension cord. Or he’s going to
tape me up first, rape me and strangle me with the extension
cord. This is it.
“I knew if I wanted to make it out of there alive I better do
what he said. For me, it was if I get out of here alive…
everything -- everything in my life is going to change.”
Nichols took the tape, the extension cord and a large curtain,
wrapped her so she couldn’t escape and placed her on the toilet.
He covered her head with a towel, undressed and showered. Ashley
started talking about her life…
“Every time, I would connect with him in some way. I told him
about playing basketball and trying to get college scholarships.
He told me about his scholarships in football. That would get
him to talk a little more, and I could see when he talked he
felt a little more comfortable.
“I think in a sense I was trying to help him understand that I
was a good person, and I was trying for my life. I had made some
terrible mistakes. I just wanted another chance to do better. It
was important that he know I was a sinner just like him.”
At one point Nichols asked Ashley if she had any pot to smoke.
“I said no, but I have some 'ice'.”
Ashley had a stash of methamphetamines -- known on the street as
ice.
“Immediately when I offered him the drugs I was like, ‘Oh, my
gosh, what have I done? I just killed myself. Why did I do that?
How stupid can I be! The way this stuffs affects me… I’ll be
dead in five minutes.”
Ironically, Ashley had been getting help to kick her addiction.
She’d moved into her new apartment and was making progress. But
she couldn’t quite make the break from the drugs.
When Ashley offered Nichols the meth, he asked if she would do
it with him. “It was like God came in and said, ‘Here’s your
choice. You can say no, and go on and live doing great things I
have planned for you. Or you can live this miserable life you
have been living.’ Immediately I said no.
“When I said, no I was like, ‘No more! Ever again!’"
Ashley had never felt such clarity. “I always had in the back of
my mind the reservation that I can do it socially. One time
won’t matter. When I think about it now, God had it planned out.
All the times I went through rehab or wanted to stop… this was
the time for Ashley to wake up and start living her life again
instead of dying slowly.”
Nichols did in fact snort the ice. But somehow the circumstances
that threw these two together seemed to have a purpose. Nichols
untied Ashley. She kept talking about her life and her desire to
see her daughter and be the mother she wanted to be. He started
to relax. She smoked her cigarettes and read to Nichols from The
Purpose-Driven Life, a book she had been reading by a pastor
named Rick Warren. Nichols drank a beer and listened.
God deserves your best. He shaped you for a purpose and He
expects you to make the most of what you have been given…
“When I stopped, he said read it again. Something connected
there of maybe you really do have a purpose and maybe I do too.
“He asked me what I thought his purpose was. [I told him] to pay
for what he had done and minister to people in prison."
Ashley was trying to make the point that Nichols could be
forgiven for his sins, and that even though we all make
mistakes, someday he would have to pay for it.
Nichols asked Ashley what he should do. “I wasn’t going to hold
back. I told him, ‘I think you should turn yourself in.’
“He told me he had a demon in him. The whole spiritual warfare I
could totally understand. I could definitely see he was being
pulled two different ways.”
In the pre-dawn hours of their encounter, Nichols watched
television reports of his escape. At one point he told Ashley he
had killed a fourth person -- an off duty immigration officer.
Nichols shot him in his truck. Ashley responded by finding her
husband’s death certificate. She handed it to Nichols.
“’This is what this family is going to receive -- a death
certificate. They are going to plan a funeral. This is their
worst nightmare, and you caused it. Do you know? Do you know
what you did?’ I just wanted him to feel what he had done.”
Finally, at about 9 am Nichols let Ashley walk out of her
apartment. She drove off in her car and called 911.
Ashley last saw Nichols as police took him into custody outside
her apartment. He turned himself in as he promised. He was going
back to face justice for the murder of four innocent people.
However, Ashley realized that her seven hours as his hostage
were really the first hours of her new freedom. Not only did she
give up drugs that morning, she decided to commit her life fully
to Jesus Christ.
“My future is so much brighter now because I have a personal
relationship with Jesus and that makes my world so much brighter
(laughs).”
She continues to recover spiritually, emotionally and physically
from years of drug addiction. At her insistence she is drug
tested every week. Rebuilding trust with her loved ones is a
major goal.
“Instead of taking drugs I take vitamins and I run five miles a
day. I’m on a regular healthy routine now. I just take care of
myself. I am more at peace with myself.”
She says Jesus even helped her quit smoking.
The greatest change in Ashley’s life is that her relationship
with her daughter is what she always dreamed it could be.
Together again, they live with her aunt and uncle.
“I do everything. I take care of her financially, physically, I
do everything. I’ve never had a relationship like this with my
daughter. It’s challenging because being the mother of a six-
year-old is challenging (laughs) but is has been awesome.
“I have a chance to live my life for Him now. [It’s] what I
should have been doing all along. I’m a better Mom now. I’m a
better daughter. I’m a better niece. I’m a better friend.
“He’s a huge God. He does wonderful, wonderful miracles.”
~By Tim Branson and Cheryl Wilcox, The 700 Club, www.cbn.com~
The scene inside Atlanta’s Fulton County Courthouse was chaotic
and bloody.
A man allegedly overpowered a courthouse deputy who was
escorting him to his rape trial. He took the deputy's gun, then
shot and killed the judge and court reporter. The man then fled.
Police identified him as Brian Nichols.
Police launched a massive manhunt. As news spread, residents
locked their doors and waited.
In northern Atlanta, Ashley Smith had just moved into a new
apartment, looking for a fresh start in a new place. Around 2
a.m. that night, she emptied the last box and went to the store
for a pack of cigarettes.
When she returned she noticed a stranger sitting in his car. It
made her uneasy so she jumped out of her car and hurried to her
apartment. She put the keys in the lock, opened the door, but
the stranger was right behind her.
“I started to scream at the top of my lungs,” Ashley recalls.
“He came up to me [and told me], ‘Shut up, shut up.’ He pointed
the gun at me. ‘If you don't scream, I won't hurt you.’ So, I
stopped screaming. He pushed me in the house, shut the door, and
locked it. I immediately said, ‘God, look… he can do anything he
wants. He can rape me. Just let me walk out of here alive.’”
Ashley Smith did indeed survive the ordeal. After seven hours,
Nichols released Ashley and peacefully surrendered to SWAT
police. The headline from the Atlanta Journal Constitution read…
“An Angel Sent from God.”
So, who is Ashley Smith? What went on during her seven hours of
captivity? Was theirs a chance encounter or a divine
appointment?
Ashley says, “So he asked me if I knew who he was and I said no.
So he said, ‘Have you been watching TV at all? You know, the
whole court thing.’ I was like, ‘No way! You have to be kidding
me.’ He tore off his hat. ‘Now do you know who I am?’ With that
kind of warning, I knew exactly who he was. I knew I was going
to die. He had already killed three people to my knowledge. He
wasn’t going to stop. The look in his eye then… he wasn’t going
to stop.
“I immediately started silently praying to God, ‘Just please get
me out of here alive. He can do whatever he wants. I have been
through so many things in my life. I will get through whatever
happens to me. Please don’t kill me.’”
Nichols herded Ashley into the bathroom and told her to sit in
the tub. At once, Ashley thought of her five-year-old daughter.
“I just begged for my life. I kept bringing up Paige’s name. My
husband was killed; she doesn’t have a daddy. I’m all she has
left.”
Ashley feared she would suffer the same fate as her late
husband, Mack.
“When I buried Mack, I buried a piece of me. That was my goal --
to be his wife and be a good mother. When he died all my dreams
were taken away.
“Instead of turning to God. I dove so deep into drugs it was
hard to find myself again.”
It was 2003 and to cope with her husband’s death Ashley relied
on methamphetamines and prescription drugs to get through the
day. But the drugs were taking her further away from her
daughter.
“I stayed high 5 out of 7 days a week,” Ashley says. “I didn’t
sleep at all. The whole time I was screaming out, Why am I doing
this? I can’t stop."
Her mother Mary Jo and her Aunt Kim knew Paige couldn’t live in
this environment. They took legal action to get custody of
Paige.
“I hated myself for it -- that I couldn’t stop,” says Ashley. “I
didn't want to stop. I wanted to do this right now. I didn’t
want to feel the pain of Mack’s death and that was the excuse I
used.”
So now Ashley found herself sitting in her bathtub, held captive
by an accused rapist and alleged murderer. Nichols left the
bathroom.
“When he came back with the tape, I thought this was it. He’s
going to strangle me with it. He had an extension cord too. He’s
going to strangle me with the extension cord. Or he’s going to
tape me up first, rape me and strangle me with the extension
cord. This is it.
“I knew if I wanted to make it out of there alive I better do
what he said. For me, it was if I get out of here alive…
everything -- everything in my life is going to change.”
Nichols took the tape, the extension cord and a large curtain,
wrapped her so she couldn’t escape and placed her on the toilet.
He covered her head with a towel, undressed and showered. Ashley
started talking about her life…
“Every time, I would connect with him in some way. I told him
about playing basketball and trying to get college scholarships.
He told me about his scholarships in football. That would get
him to talk a little more, and I could see when he talked he
felt a little more comfortable.
“I think in a sense I was trying to help him understand that I
was a good person, and I was trying for my life. I had made some
terrible mistakes. I just wanted another chance to do better. It
was important that he know I was a sinner just like him.”
At one point Nichols asked Ashley if she had any pot to smoke.
“I said no, but I have some 'ice'.”
Ashley had a stash of methamphetamines -- known on the street as
ice.
“Immediately when I offered him the drugs I was like, ‘Oh, my
gosh, what have I done? I just killed myself. Why did I do that?
How stupid can I be! The way this stuffs affects me… I’ll be
dead in five minutes.”
Ironically, Ashley had been getting help to kick her addiction.
She’d moved into her new apartment and was making progress. But
she couldn’t quite make the break from the drugs.
When Ashley offered Nichols the meth, he asked if she would do
it with him. “It was like God came in and said, ‘Here’s your
choice. You can say no, and go on and live doing great things I
have planned for you. Or you can live this miserable life you
have been living.’ Immediately I said no.
“When I said, no I was like, ‘No more! Ever again!’"
Ashley had never felt such clarity. “I always had in the back of
my mind the reservation that I can do it socially. One time
won’t matter. When I think about it now, God had it planned out.
All the times I went through rehab or wanted to stop… this was
the time for Ashley to wake up and start living her life again
instead of dying slowly.”
Nichols did in fact snort the ice. But somehow the circumstances
that threw these two together seemed to have a purpose. Nichols
untied Ashley. She kept talking about her life and her desire to
see her daughter and be the mother she wanted to be. He started
to relax. She smoked her cigarettes and read to Nichols from The
Purpose-Driven Life, a book she had been reading by a pastor
named Rick Warren. Nichols drank a beer and listened.
God deserves your best. He shaped you for a purpose and He
expects you to make the most of what you have been given…
“When I stopped, he said read it again. Something connected
there of maybe you really do have a purpose and maybe I do too.
“He asked me what I thought his purpose was. [I told him] to pay
for what he had done and minister to people in prison."
Ashley was trying to make the point that Nichols could be
forgiven for his sins, and that even though we all make
mistakes, someday he would have to pay for it.
Nichols asked Ashley what he should do. “I wasn’t going to hold
back. I told him, ‘I think you should turn yourself in.’
“He told me he had a demon in him. The whole spiritual warfare I
could totally understand. I could definitely see he was being
pulled two different ways.”
In the pre-dawn hours of their encounter, Nichols watched
television reports of his escape. At one point he told Ashley he
had killed a fourth person -- an off duty immigration officer.
Nichols shot him in his truck. Ashley responded by finding her
husband’s death certificate. She handed it to Nichols.
“’This is what this family is going to receive -- a death
certificate. They are going to plan a funeral. This is their
worst nightmare, and you caused it. Do you know? Do you know
what you did?’ I just wanted him to feel what he had done.”
Finally, at about 9 am Nichols let Ashley walk out of her
apartment. She drove off in her car and called 911.
Ashley last saw Nichols as police took him into custody outside
her apartment. He turned himself in as he promised. He was going
back to face justice for the murder of four innocent people.
However, Ashley realized that her seven hours as his hostage
were really the first hours of her new freedom. Not only did she
give up drugs that morning, she decided to commit her life fully
to Jesus Christ.
“My future is so much brighter now because I have a personal
relationship with Jesus and that makes my world so much brighter
(laughs).”
She continues to recover spiritually, emotionally and physically
from years of drug addiction. At her insistence she is drug
tested every week. Rebuilding trust with her loved ones is a
major goal.
“Instead of taking drugs I take vitamins and I run five miles a
day. I’m on a regular healthy routine now. I just take care of
myself. I am more at peace with myself.”
She says Jesus even helped her quit smoking.
The greatest change in Ashley’s life is that her relationship
with her daughter is what she always dreamed it could be.
Together again, they live with her aunt and uncle.
“I do everything. I take care of her financially, physically, I
do everything. I’ve never had a relationship like this with my
daughter. It’s challenging because being the mother of a six-
year-old is challenging (laughs) but is has been awesome.
“I have a chance to live my life for Him now. [It’s] what I
should have been doing all along. I’m a better Mom now. I’m a
better daughter. I’m a better niece. I’m a better friend.
“He’s a huge God. He does wonderful, wonderful miracles.”
~By Tim Branson and Cheryl Wilcox, The 700 Club, www.cbn.com~
A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.
Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.
Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."
The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.
One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.
Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition . Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.
So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!
Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.
Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."
The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.
One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.
Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition . Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.
So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!
Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
[video=youtube_share;BUKtXvYpFhw]http://youtu.be/BUKtXvYpFhw[/video]
The 23rd Channel v2
The TV is my shepherd I shall not want,
It makes me lie down on the sofa,
It leads me away from the scriptures,
It damages my soul.
It leads me in the path of sex and
violence for the sponsor's sake.
Yea, though I walk in the shadow
of my Christian responsibilities,
there will be no interruption
for the TV is with me,
It's cable and remote control,
they comfort me,
It prepares a commercial before me in
the presence of my worldliness.
It anoints my head with humanism,
my coveting runneth over,
Surely laziness and ignorance shall
follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in my house
watching TV forever.
Amen.
~Author Unknown~
The TV is my shepherd I shall not want,
It makes me lie down on the sofa,
It leads me away from the scriptures,
It damages my soul.
It leads me in the path of sex and
violence for the sponsor's sake.
Yea, though I walk in the shadow
of my Christian responsibilities,
there will be no interruption
for the TV is with me,
It's cable and remote control,
they comfort me,
It prepares a commercial before me in
the presence of my worldliness.
It anoints my head with humanism,
my coveting runneth over,
Surely laziness and ignorance shall
follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in my house
watching TV forever.
Amen.
~Author Unknown~
[video=youtube_share;U3QfrrQgZCQ]http://youtu.be/U3QfrrQgZCQ[/video]
Mosquito Bites
Last Saturday my husband and I decided to have our son (thirteen
months) start sleeping on a cot so we can put a mosquito net
around him. This is important in order to reduce the frequency
with which he gets malaria.
Because he has been sleeping with us since birth, he did not
want to sleep by himself on his cot. He cried bitterly.
Being a mother, I was heartbroken and gathered him in my arms
to comfort him and rock him back to sleep.
When I put him back, he woke up and started crying again.
This time it was with great sobs and I felt like something
was tearing at my heart.
During some period in our lives we may feel as if God does not
care for us or love us because we are in situations or
circumstances that we don't like or find difficult to cope
with. I have been there before. That is our perspective;
however, God does such things to protect us from "mosquito bites"
that may give us "malaria."
So if you find yourself in a situation that you don't like or
aren't comfortable with, turn to Him and trust that God knows
what is best for you. You are not in that circumstance
because He does not care for you. That is what the devil
wants you to think.
Last Saturday my husband and I decided to have our son (thirteen
months) start sleeping on a cot so we can put a mosquito net
around him. This is important in order to reduce the frequency
with which he gets malaria.
Because he has been sleeping with us since birth, he did not
want to sleep by himself on his cot. He cried bitterly.
Being a mother, I was heartbroken and gathered him in my arms
to comfort him and rock him back to sleep.
When I put him back, he woke up and started crying again.
This time it was with great sobs and I felt like something
was tearing at my heart.
During some period in our lives we may feel as if God does not
care for us or love us because we are in situations or
circumstances that we don't like or find difficult to cope
with. I have been there before. That is our perspective;
however, God does such things to protect us from "mosquito bites"
that may give us "malaria."
So if you find yourself in a situation that you don't like or
aren't comfortable with, turn to Him and trust that God knows
what is best for you. You are not in that circumstance
because He does not care for you. That is what the devil
wants you to think.
erection2015
Alfrescian (InfP) + C
how very true
Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
Last edited:
[video=youtube_share;T5iA_f2goTY]http://youtu.be/T5iA_f2goTY[/video]
It Couldn’t Be Done
Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;"
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
~Edgar Albert Guest~
Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;"
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
~Edgar Albert Guest~
[video=youtube_share;JuP_yeI9Fis]http://youtu.be/JuP_yeI9Fis[/video]
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