WHEN I WHINE

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair and wished I was as fair. 

When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle. 

She had one leg and wore a crutch. But as she passed, a smile. 

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have 2 legs, the world is mine. 

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm. 

I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I were late, it'd do no harm. 

And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind. 

It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind." 

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

ANOTHER WOOLLY STORY

A pastor by the name of Griffiths Thomas once had a study leave in Israel. Toward the end of his stay his Israeli host asked him if there was anything else that he would like to see. He said, “I would like to see an eastern shepherd with his flock.”

The next morning they were up bright and early and they went for miles into the country until they came to a great watering hole. After sitting there for a while they heard some bleats and they looked up and saw a shepherd appearing with his sheep. He wasn’t driving them from behind with dogs. He was leading them from way out front.

Griffiths Thomas then noticed from a different direction there was another shepherd and he was leading his sheep and before long, another shepherd with his flock appeared.

A PRAYER FOR INDIA

Loving Father, You are the King of kings and the Lord of rulers. You bless all the rulers and their people who honour You and serve You. Bless our nation. 

Father. I pray for my country and for all who live in it. Give all the leaders and authorities Your knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Help them to fear You and honour You. Let them also render justice to our people. 

Let Your righteousness fill our nation. Let all the forces of darkness, derision, destruction and demons be destroyed. Let our enemies witness the power of our unity within the border and the strength of our armed forces at the border. Let there be peace and prosperity in our nation.

JOHN F KENNEDY’S HIGH VISION—‘WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON’

In a speech to a Houston College in September 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered his memorable ‘We choose to go to the Moon’ address, stating that humankind will be on the moon before the end of the decade.

The speech had strong tones of national one-upmanship and the need to put stakes in space before other countries do but it also demonstrates the power of a grand vision.

He said: “But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?”

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too….”

“Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, ‘Because it is there.’”

“Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.”

CHARACTER IN MOTION

In his book Seizing Your Divine Moment, Erwin McManus writes of a day when he was speaking at a Christian retreat in Florida.

His family had accompanied him on the trip. "My assignment," McManus relates, "was to call several thousand singles to a life of sacrifice as we basked in soothing tranquility."

During some free time, McManus and his ten-year-old son, Aaron, took a walk along the ocean. Suddenly he noted a disabled man on crutches, struggling to make his way to the water's edge to join other bathers. But because the sand was too unstable, the man fell and was unable to get up again. McManus admits that his instinct was to turn and walk in the opposite direction.

I know this instinct. It is the part of each of us that prefers not to get involved, not to face something that could be beyond our grasp. The temptation is to freeze, ignore it, hope that someone else will step up to the situation. Something in one's character goes into neutral, and self-interest threatens to trump self-sacrifice.

Not so with McManus's boy.

“My son stopped me;” McManus says.

"I have to go help that man," the boy said.

McManus: "I could only look at him and say, "Then go help him."'

When the fallen man proved too heavy for a small boy to help, others quickly gathered around and offered the necessary strength. At first the child was distressed that he could not do it himself, but McManus said, "I explained to Aaron that his strength carried the man. It was because of him that others came to his aid."

This is character in motion, best illustrated in the instincts of a ten-year-old.

LOOKING GOOD FOR GOD by Flavio Mazarello

On a thundering rainy day, a Mom went to pick her six year son from school thinking that he will fear lightning.

But she found him smiling at the sky for every lightning..

She asks, "Why are you smiling..?"

Son : "God is taking my Pictures & I need to look good.."

Life is simple. 

we complicate it.

TAKING TIME TO SEE A PERSON By Max Lucado

Stanley Shipp served as a father to my young faith. 

He was thirty years my senior and blessed with a hawkish nose, thin lips, a rim of white hair, and a heart as big as the Midwest. His business cards, which he gave to those who requested and those who didn't, read simply, "Stanley Shipp-Your Servant."

I spent my first post college year under his tutelage. One of our trips took us to a small church in rural Pennsylvania for a conference. He and I happened to be the only two people at the building when a drifter, wearing alcohol like a cheap perfume, knocked on the door.

He recited his victim spiel. Overqualified for work. Unqualified for pension. Lost bus ticket. Bad back. His kids in Kansas didn't care. If bad breaks were rock and roll, this guy was Elvis. I crossed my arms, smirked, and gave Stanley a get-a-load-of-this-guy glance.

Stanley didn't return it. He devoted every optic nerve to the drifter. Stanley saw no one else but him. Now long, I remember wondering, since anyone looked this fellow square in the face?

The meandering saga finally stopped, and Stanley led the man into the church kitchen and prepared him a plate of food and a sack of groceries.

As we watched him leave, Stanley blinked back a tear and responded to my unsaid thoughts. "Max, I know he's probably lying. But what if just one part of his story was true?"

We both saw the man. I saw right through him. Stanley saw deep into him.

There is something fundamentally good about taking time to see a person.

QUESTIONS

Á young scholar approached the Teacher and said, “I agree that staying within the confines of my own community and tradition is stifling, but where do I begin?”

“By asking questions,” the Teacher replied.

“What kind of questions?”

“If human beings have discovered anything new, it was always by breaking boundaries and daring to ask two necessary questions,” the Teacher replied.

“The first is – Why? And the second – Why not? When you ask these, the How follows.”

FETCH ANOTHER SORT OF DOCTOR

A powerful monarch called a priest with healing powers to help him with his back ache.

"God will help us," said the holy man. "But first let us understand the reason for these pains. I suggest Your Majesty confesses now, for confession makes men face up to their problems, and liberates much guilt."

Annoyed at having to think about so many problems, the king said:

"I do not wish to speak of these matters; I need someone who heals without asking questions."

The priest went off and returned half an hour later with another man.

"I believe that words can relieve pain, and help me to discover the right path to a cure," he said. But you do not wish to talk, and I cannot help you. This is the man you need: 

My friend here is a veterinarian, and does not generally speak to his patients."

OBEDIENCE

A youngster, badly spoiled, was in tears.


“Give that child whatever he wants!” called out the lady of the house.


The little fellow soon raised the decibels of his yelling.


“Didn’t I tell you to give him what he wants?” shouted the mother.


“I did,” replied the maid. “He wanted a bee.”

HOLY MAN

Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeted him at the door. "I would like to see the wise Holy Man," he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man. Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant, "But I want to see the Holy Man!"

"You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved."

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Many people also go searching for things (love, happiness) and don't recognize them when they see them.

USE YOUR STRENGTHS!!

One day, an angel was roaming in the forest. It was a very beautiful day. The angel saw trees touching the sky, and leaves were swinging with cool breeze. Flowers were smiling, painted with beautiful colors, and the birds were singing. Angel was very pleased to see the beauty that God had created; it was a magical feeling.


After walking a little further, the angel saw a rose plant. The rose plant was crying. The angel felt very sad. The angel asked the rose plant, "Why are you crying, my child?"


The rose plant replied, "God doesn't love me as much as he loves other plants."


And the angel said, "What makes you think that, my beautiful one?"


The Rose plant then said, "God gave me a thorn."


The angel said, "Awwww, God didn't give you a thorn, you were born with the thorn. God blessed you with a beautiful flower with beautiful carved petals. God blessed you with a sweet fragrance. You are remembered as a symbol of love. God blessed your beauty to live with the thorn."
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Live your life with your strengths, not with your weaknesses.

THE LOTTERY TICKET

John, who was experiencing some financial difficulties, walked into Church and started to pray, "Listen God," John said, "I know I havent been perfect, but I really need to win the lottery. I need money. Please help me out."

He left the Church. A week went by and he hadnt won the lottery, so he walked into a synagogue, "Come on God," he said, "I really need this money. i have so many bills to pay. Please help me win the lottery."

He left the synagogue. A week passed and he hadnt won the lottery. So he went to a temple and started to pray again, "You'vE started to disappoint me, God, "He said, "Give me a break! I've prayed and prayed. If you help me win the lottery just this time, I promise I'll be a better person. I dont have to win the jackpot, but just enough to get me out of debt. I'll even give some to charity. Just let me win the lottery."

John thought this did it, so he got up and walked outside. Just then the clouds opened up and a booming voice said, "John, you give me a break; first buy a lottery ticket."

PROLONGED CHILDHOOD

A disciple reported that the traditionalists in his town were furious about the sage’s teaching especially on religion and tradition. He had tried to argue in favour of the sage and pointed out that their ideas were only keeping them stuck.

The sage replied, “Most people cling to their beliefs like children to their toys. They fight and resist if anyone attempts to take them away. There is no use arguing with them or trying to convince them.”

“They are adults, not children,” the disciple noted.

“Most people prolong their childhood and only play the game of being adults,” said the sage.

ST VINCENT'S WATER

The Spaniards use the expression "Drink St Vincent's water" about people who talk too much or would like to take back things they have said in haste.

The expression goes back to St Vincent Ferrer, a Dominican priest who lived in the 15th century. The story is that once a woman came to him and complained bitterly that her husband was always short tempered and out of sorts and it was impossible to have an intelligent word with him. The woman asked the saint if he could suggest some way by which peace would come back to the household.

St Vincent told her, "Go to the Brother at the entrance of the monastery and ask him to give you some water from the monastery well. Take it along with you and as soon as your husband comes back in the evening, take a drink of this water and hold it in your mouth as long as you can. You must keep it in your mouth for a long time, otherwise it won't work.

The woman followed the advice. As soon as her husband came home, he was once again full of his usual ill humour and impatience. Immediately the woman took a gulp of the monastery water and kept it in her mouth a long time so that it would not lose its effectiveness.

Pretty soon her husband saw that he was talking to the air and stopped. The woman used this same miraculous remedy over and over again. After some time, her husband changed completely and even praised his wife's patience.

All smiles, the woman returned to St Vincent to thank him for the miraculous water. But he assured her with a smile, " It was not the water but you patiently holding your tongue that worked the miracle!"