[video=youtube_share;PCb2y1L424M]http://youtu.be/PCb2y1L424M[/video]
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- Thread starter beensetfree
- Start date
The Kind We All Want
It was about 8:30 AM on a busy morning when an elderly gentleman
in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at
9:00. I took his vital signs and had him to take a seat, knowing
it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy
with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. After examining
him, I could see the wound was well healed, so I talked to one of
the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his stitches,
and redressed his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to talk. I asked if he
had a doctor's appointment this morning as he was in such a hurry.
He told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat
breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired about her health. He told me that she had been
there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's.
As we talked and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she
would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no
longer knew who he was. He continued saying that she had not
recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised and questioned him, "And you are still going
every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled as he patted my hand and answered,
"She doesn't know me, but I still know who SHE is."
I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my
arm and thought, "That's the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an
acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
It was about 8:30 AM on a busy morning when an elderly gentleman
in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at
9:00. I took his vital signs and had him to take a seat, knowing
it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy
with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. After examining
him, I could see the wound was well healed, so I talked to one of
the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his stitches,
and redressed his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to talk. I asked if he
had a doctor's appointment this morning as he was in such a hurry.
He told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat
breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired about her health. He told me that she had been
there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's.
As we talked and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she
would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no
longer knew who he was. He continued saying that she had not
recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised and questioned him, "And you are still going
every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled as he patted my hand and answered,
"She doesn't know me, but I still know who SHE is."
I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my
arm and thought, "That's the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an
acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
[video=youtube_share;FrCDh3wizQk]http://youtu.be/FrCDh3wizQk[/video]
and they crucified him
-- Author Unknown
A medical doctor provides a physical description:
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.
As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain -- the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.
As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.
Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.
Finally, he allows his body to die.
All this the Bible records with the simple words, "and they crucified Him" -- Mark 15:24
-- Author Unknown
A medical doctor provides a physical description:
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.
As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain -- the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.
As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.
Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.
Finally, he allows his body to die.
All this the Bible records with the simple words, "and they crucified Him" -- Mark 15:24
[video=youtube;xch_oSHlrds]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xch_oSHlrds&feature=share&list=PLA8843FEC7CF9D29F[/video]
Boardroom or Bedroom?
I just read an article about happiness.
It simply explained what I already knew.
Bottom line:
You'll be happier focusing on the bedroom than the boardroom.
The research explained that more money only raises happiness
temporarily. Many believe that focusing on career and making
more money will bring them happiness. The research shows the
gain is soon lost as you raise expectations and you are
surrounded by those with as much material wealth as you have.
The research says this:
If you want to be happy, focus on your health and your family.
Health and family are generally not affected by your surroundings.
No matter what your social direction is, those things remain
valuable and fulfilling and they help keep you happy.
I just read an article about happiness.
It simply explained what I already knew.
Bottom line:
You'll be happier focusing on the bedroom than the boardroom.
The research explained that more money only raises happiness
temporarily. Many believe that focusing on career and making
more money will bring them happiness. The research shows the
gain is soon lost as you raise expectations and you are
surrounded by those with as much material wealth as you have.
The research says this:
If you want to be happy, focus on your health and your family.
Health and family are generally not affected by your surroundings.
No matter what your social direction is, those things remain
valuable and fulfilling and they help keep you happy.
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, “Hi there.” He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.
His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. Hi there, baby; Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,” the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, “What do we do?” Erik continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, hi there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, “Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.” Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door.
“Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s “pick-me-up” position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man’s. Suddenly a veryold smelly man and a very young baby consummated their relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.
The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take care of this baby.” Somehow I managed, “I will,” from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, “God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift. You see, m’am, I never saw my child grow up. My wife and son were taken from me in an automobile accident when they were both too young. I was never able to get over it.”
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks and “I’m sorry to hear that.” With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, “My God, my God, forgive me.” I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, “Are you willing to share your son for a moment?” when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me...
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” -- Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.
His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. Hi there, baby; Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,” the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, “What do we do?” Erik continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, hi there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, “Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.” Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door.
“Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s “pick-me-up” position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man’s. Suddenly a veryold smelly man and a very young baby consummated their relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.
The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take care of this baby.” Somehow I managed, “I will,” from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, “God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift. You see, m’am, I never saw my child grow up. My wife and son were taken from me in an automobile accident when they were both too young. I was never able to get over it.”
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks and “I’m sorry to hear that.” With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, “My God, my God, forgive me.” I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, “Are you willing to share your son for a moment?” when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me...
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” -- Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
The First Step OUT of A Mess
When everything is a mess and when you try to clean up,
where do you start?
In life, some messes are bigger than others.
Some situations are more traumatic and distressing.
A flat tire is different from your car being repossessed and you
lost your job and are facing eviction.
I believe the subscriber who wrote that question was facing a
situation far more challenging than a flat tire, but it was a
question that struck me.
What do you do when everything is in a mess?
Let me give a pointer on the first part that may help someone.
"When everything is a mess..."
First, as long as there is breath in your body, realize that
it's impossible for everything to be in a mess.
Something has to be right.
The first thing is to find the things that are right.
Car repossessed?
Be thankful for a great bus system.
You may not think that's much until you ride on some of the bus
systems of the world that I've seen.
Got a terrible bus system?
Be thankful for legs that allow you to stand on a crowded,
non air-conditioned bus with people hanging out of the doors and
windows plus a bumpy ride.
Imagine for a second that you have just been told that you have
AIDS or terminal cancer.
Now imagine the relief when the doctor tells you it was a
mistake and your health is fine.
Don't have AIDS or terminal cancer?
Then EVERYTHING isn't in a mess is it?
That's the first thing; when you really stop and take count,
EVERYTHING is NOT messed up, just some things.
Even if you did have a terminal disease, if you are headed to
heaven then EVERYTHING still isn't messed up.
That's the first big step;
realize the "other" things that aren't messed up.
When this issue was first published a subscriber wrote who had
AIDS and said their life wasn't messed up just because they had
AIDS. They were living with it and had great hope.
There are two other steps that I'll get to later.
Want to know the next two steps right now?
Patience my friends, patience.
All messes take a little time to clean, and patience is one of
the necessary cleaning agents.
~
When everything is a mess and when you try to clean up,
where do you start?
In life, some messes are bigger than others.
Some situations are more traumatic and distressing.
A flat tire is different from your car being repossessed and you
lost your job and are facing eviction.
I believe the subscriber who wrote that question was facing a
situation far more challenging than a flat tire, but it was a
question that struck me.
What do you do when everything is in a mess?
Let me give a pointer on the first part that may help someone.
"When everything is a mess..."
First, as long as there is breath in your body, realize that
it's impossible for everything to be in a mess.
Something has to be right.
The first thing is to find the things that are right.
Car repossessed?
Be thankful for a great bus system.
You may not think that's much until you ride on some of the bus
systems of the world that I've seen.
Got a terrible bus system?
Be thankful for legs that allow you to stand on a crowded,
non air-conditioned bus with people hanging out of the doors and
windows plus a bumpy ride.
Imagine for a second that you have just been told that you have
AIDS or terminal cancer.
Now imagine the relief when the doctor tells you it was a
mistake and your health is fine.
Don't have AIDS or terminal cancer?
Then EVERYTHING isn't in a mess is it?
That's the first thing; when you really stop and take count,
EVERYTHING is NOT messed up, just some things.
Even if you did have a terminal disease, if you are headed to
heaven then EVERYTHING still isn't messed up.
That's the first big step;
realize the "other" things that aren't messed up.
When this issue was first published a subscriber wrote who had
AIDS and said their life wasn't messed up just because they had
AIDS. They were living with it and had great hope.
There are two other steps that I'll get to later.
Want to know the next two steps right now?
Patience my friends, patience.
All messes take a little time to clean, and patience is one of
the necessary cleaning agents.
~
christianity is a love relationship
You cannot love someone that you do not know, and you cannot know someone that you don’t spend quality time with.
To know Jesus is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to be blessed. It begins with a daily, quality communication with the Lord.
Why is it best to spend time with the Lord in the morning? Because you are getting ready to go on a road trip through life. You don’t take the trip and then read the map, do you?
How are you starting your mornings? With a cup of coffee and the paper? Or with the pure milk of the Word and the light of His presence?
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. -- Psalm 5:1-3
You cannot love someone that you do not know, and you cannot know someone that you don’t spend quality time with.
To know Jesus is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to be blessed. It begins with a daily, quality communication with the Lord.
Why is it best to spend time with the Lord in the morning? Because you are getting ready to go on a road trip through life. You don’t take the trip and then read the map, do you?
How are you starting your mornings? With a cup of coffee and the paper? Or with the pure milk of the Word and the light of His presence?
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. -- Psalm 5:1-3
[video=youtube_share;Bk_7wUR2Wdg]http://youtu.be/Bk_7wUR2Wdg[/video]
Alone?
In the cool of the night
There's no body in sight
As you sing a quiet song
Another night all alone
You walk thru the mall
See couples enthralled
Holding hands as they walk
Gazing deep as they talk
By the store window you stand
An answer you demand
In a soul searching tone
"Why am I alone?"
At night no one cuddles along by your side
An empty passenger seat stares at you as you ride
Your favorite movie is playing on cable
One meal stands alone at your dinner table
Again you ask to what seems empty air
Why there's no one to listen, no one to share
My dreams and my hopes
As I'm climbing the ropes
Even in victory
It's still just me
Who stands in the light
No partner in sight
Why must I walk in complete solitude?
Why must the master be so rude?
Is it too much to ask?
Is that too hard a task?
To have someone with whom to share
Someone about whom I really care
Someone to mingle my life
Someone to ease the strife
You stand in the window thinking it's only me
A ship by itself in the midst of the sea
Open your eyes and gaze hard in the glass
See what's really true about now and the past
If you ride all alone and no one is there
How do you explain the car that you missed by a hair
You felt something pull you in the nick of time
For the tragedy on the news could have been thine
Or the time that you were up against the wall
And didn't know how you'd make it at all
Up all night you didn't know what to do
But at the very last moment came the breakthrough
Remember the thing that scared you so bad
Terrible thoughts of what you had
Then the report that reached your ear
No need to worry for all was clear
And the little voice that gave you advice
The voice that was right more than once or twice
It urges you on and sometimes says stop
Slow down be careful, around that corner's a flop
Gaze in the window
See what eyes cannot
Look hard, see the shadows
Look hard at the plot
A brush of wind around you clings
Unseen but felt, those are angels' wings
The movement seen from the corner of your eye
Angels that catch each tear that you cry
If you knew the truth you’d wonder out loud
How could I have been lonely in the midst of this crowd?
For God has sent you a host of protectors
Directors, objectors, connectors, inspectors.
As you leave the window to continue your stroll
Invisible hands are there for you to hold
How could you have ever been so wrong
To think that God would leave you alone.
It’s not that you were ever alone at all
Your eyes open as you move down the mall
You were never one in the sea
You simply couldn't see reality.
If you knew the loving and caring that surrounds
If you knew the warmth and softness that abounds
If you knew the truth about what really is
You’d see the hands that catch all of your tears.
In the cool of the night
There's no body in sight
As you sing a quiet song
Another night all alone
You walk thru the mall
See couples enthralled
Holding hands as they walk
Gazing deep as they talk
By the store window you stand
An answer you demand
In a soul searching tone
"Why am I alone?"
At night no one cuddles along by your side
An empty passenger seat stares at you as you ride
Your favorite movie is playing on cable
One meal stands alone at your dinner table
Again you ask to what seems empty air
Why there's no one to listen, no one to share
My dreams and my hopes
As I'm climbing the ropes
Even in victory
It's still just me
Who stands in the light
No partner in sight
Why must I walk in complete solitude?
Why must the master be so rude?
Is it too much to ask?
Is that too hard a task?
To have someone with whom to share
Someone about whom I really care
Someone to mingle my life
Someone to ease the strife
You stand in the window thinking it's only me
A ship by itself in the midst of the sea
Open your eyes and gaze hard in the glass
See what's really true about now and the past
If you ride all alone and no one is there
How do you explain the car that you missed by a hair
You felt something pull you in the nick of time
For the tragedy on the news could have been thine
Or the time that you were up against the wall
And didn't know how you'd make it at all
Up all night you didn't know what to do
But at the very last moment came the breakthrough
Remember the thing that scared you so bad
Terrible thoughts of what you had
Then the report that reached your ear
No need to worry for all was clear
And the little voice that gave you advice
The voice that was right more than once or twice
It urges you on and sometimes says stop
Slow down be careful, around that corner's a flop
Gaze in the window
See what eyes cannot
Look hard, see the shadows
Look hard at the plot
A brush of wind around you clings
Unseen but felt, those are angels' wings
The movement seen from the corner of your eye
Angels that catch each tear that you cry
If you knew the truth you’d wonder out loud
How could I have been lonely in the midst of this crowd?
For God has sent you a host of protectors
Directors, objectors, connectors, inspectors.
As you leave the window to continue your stroll
Invisible hands are there for you to hold
How could you have ever been so wrong
To think that God would leave you alone.
It’s not that you were ever alone at all
Your eyes open as you move down the mall
You were never one in the sea
You simply couldn't see reality.
If you knew the loving and caring that surrounds
If you knew the warmth and softness that abounds
If you knew the truth about what really is
You’d see the hands that catch all of your tears.
dear ruth
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.
There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:
Dear Ruth:
I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always, Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least!"
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?"
Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags
"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both.
They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have i s a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."
She handed the man her grocery bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.
She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.
There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:
Dear Ruth:
I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always, Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least!"
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?"
Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags
"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both.
They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have i s a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."
She handed the man her grocery bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.
She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
[video=youtube_share;svgHDdzP5xY]http://youtu.be/svgHDdzP5xY[/video]
does evil exist?
Words can clarify, prove, confuse, destroy, be helpful, wound etc. In our search for God, and our understanding of faith, words can be all these and more. Ultimately, as human beings we are finite, and when it come to God, we need to walk humbly and in awe. Enjoy!
_____________________
A Story of God vs Science
-- Author unknown
The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"
"God created everything? The professor asked.
"Yes sir", the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either.
Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness.
A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
That young man was said to be Albert Einstein in 1921
(but this fact is disputed here)
--------
Einstein wasn’t a Christian. He was raised in a Jewish family... thus he believed in god. You don’t have to be Christian to believe in god.
Einstein published a paper in Nature in 1940 entitled “Science and Religion” in which says that: “a person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts, feelings and aspirations to which he clings because of their super-personal value … regardless of whether any attempt is made to unite this content with a Divine Being, for otherwise it would not be possible to count Buddha and Spinoza as religious personalities. Accordingly a religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance of those super-personal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational foundation … In this sense religion is the age-old endeavour of mankind to become clearly and completely conscious of these values and goals, and constantly to strengthen their effects.” He argued that conflicts between science and religion “have all sprung from fatal errors.”
“Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other” there are “strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies … science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind … a legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist.”
In Einstein’s view, “neither the rule of human nor Divine Will exists as an independent cause of natural events. To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events could never be refuted … by science, for [it] can always take refuge in those domains in which scientific knowledge has not yet been able to set foot.” (Einstein 1940, pp. 605–607)
Words can clarify, prove, confuse, destroy, be helpful, wound etc. In our search for God, and our understanding of faith, words can be all these and more. Ultimately, as human beings we are finite, and when it come to God, we need to walk humbly and in awe. Enjoy!
_____________________
A Story of God vs Science
-- Author unknown
The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"
"God created everything? The professor asked.
"Yes sir", the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either.
Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness.
A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
That young man was said to be Albert Einstein in 1921
(but this fact is disputed here)
--------
Einstein wasn’t a Christian. He was raised in a Jewish family... thus he believed in god. You don’t have to be Christian to believe in god.
Einstein published a paper in Nature in 1940 entitled “Science and Religion” in which says that: “a person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts, feelings and aspirations to which he clings because of their super-personal value … regardless of whether any attempt is made to unite this content with a Divine Being, for otherwise it would not be possible to count Buddha and Spinoza as religious personalities. Accordingly a religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance of those super-personal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational foundation … In this sense religion is the age-old endeavour of mankind to become clearly and completely conscious of these values and goals, and constantly to strengthen their effects.” He argued that conflicts between science and religion “have all sprung from fatal errors.”
“Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other” there are “strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies … science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind … a legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist.”
In Einstein’s view, “neither the rule of human nor Divine Will exists as an independent cause of natural events. To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events could never be refuted … by science, for [it] can always take refuge in those domains in which scientific knowledge has not yet been able to set foot.” (Einstein 1940, pp. 605–607)
Experience
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize
a mistake when you make it again.
~F. P. Jones~
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize
a mistake when you make it again.
~F. P. Jones~
Don't forget to smile
A little girl walked to and from school daily. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning.
The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child.
Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child’s school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.
When the mother’s car drove up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her.
“What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping?”
The child answered, “I am trying to look pretty, God keeps taking my picture.”
May God bless you today as you face the storms that come your way.
A little girl walked to and from school daily. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning.
The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child.
Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child’s school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.
When the mother’s car drove up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her.
“What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping?”
The child answered, “I am trying to look pretty, God keeps taking my picture.”
May God bless you today as you face the storms that come your way.
Universal
Death is more universal than life;
everyone dies
but not everyone lives.
~A. Sachs~
Death is more universal than life;
everyone dies
but not everyone lives.
~A. Sachs~
[video=youtube_share;KZii7zjj3m4]http://youtu.be/KZii7zjj3m4[/video]
Do Right
========
Do right...
and you don't need to worry about a thing.
========
Do right...
and you don't need to worry about a thing.
[video=youtube_share;Zc8Zw_Pii24]http://youtu.be/Zc8Zw_Pii24[/video]
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