Inspirations
A Lenten Challenge
Give up complaining - focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism - become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments - think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry - trust divine providence.
Give up discouragement - be full of hope.
Give up bitterness - turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred - return good for evil.
Give up negativism - be positive.
Give up anger - be more patient.
Give up pettiness - become mature.
Give up gloom - enjoy the beauty that is all around.
Give up jealousy - pray for trust.
Give up gossiping - control your tongue.
Give up sin - turn to virtue.
Give up giving up - hang in there!
-Anonymous
String of pearls
The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was
almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw
them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box
and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her
little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00.
If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores
for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy
them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another
crisp dollar bill from Grandma"
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and
counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than
her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked
Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.
On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar
bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and
grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten,
even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went
swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her
neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was
ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and
come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he
finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the
white horse from my collection, the one with the pink
tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me.
She's my very favorite! "
"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he
brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy
asked again, "Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll.
The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful
and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her
sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one.
Daddy! loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was
sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.
As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and
one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to
her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl
necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy
reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace,
and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and
pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine
pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time.
He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff
so he could give her the genuine treasure.
So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us
to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can
give us beautiful treasures.
Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of?
Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners,
relationships, habits and activities that you have come so
attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes
it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do
believe this one thing ...God will never take away something without giving you
something better in its place.
I wish for you.......
Comfort on
difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Gentle hugs when spirits sag,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Confidence for when you doubt,
Faith so that you can believe,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
And love you complete your life.
Don't be afraid your life will end........Be afraid it will never begin.
The best gifts to give:
To your friend - Loyalty
To your enemy - Forgiveness
To your boss - Service
To your child - A good example
To your parents - Gratitude and devotion
To your mate - Love and faithfulness
To all men and women - Charity, and
To your God - Your Life
John Wesley's Prayer
"I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you
will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by you, or
laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low by you. Let me be full, let me be
empty. Let me have all things, let
me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your
pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the
covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen."
A Whisper or a Brick
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going
a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from
between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As
his car passed, no children appeared. Instead,
a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and spun the
Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the
car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting,
"What was that all about and who are you? Just what are you doing?"
Building up a head of steam he went on. "That's a new car and that brick
you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do that?"
"Please, mister, please. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do"
pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would
stop..." Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed
around the parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He
rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him
up." Sobbing, the boy asked
the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?
He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump
in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his
handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was
going to be okay. "Thank you and God bless you," the grateful child
said to him.
The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward
their home. It was a long walk back to his Jaguar....a long, slow walk. He never
did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life
so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes when you don't
have time to listen, He has to throw a "brick" at you. It's your
choice:
Listen to the
Whisper.........or wait for the Brick.
That's God
Have you ever been just
sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone
you care for...
THAT'S GOD...he talks to you through the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever been
down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to...THAT'S GOD... he
wants you to talk to him.
Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long time
and then next thing you know you see them
or receive a phone call from
them...THAT'S GOD...there is no such thing as "coincidence."
Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like
money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a
department store where you had just seen something you wanted, but couldn't
afford... THAT'S GOD...he knows the desires of your heart.
Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it is going to get
better, but now you look back on it...
THAT'S GOD...he passes us through
tribulation to see a brighter day.
Your Cross
A young man was at the end
of his rope, seeing no way out, dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I
can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy of a cross to bear." The
Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross
inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you
wish." The man was filled with relief and said,
"Thank you, Lord," and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other
door, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he
spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one,
Lord," he whispered. And the Lord replied, " My son, that is the cross
you just brought in."
When life's problems seem
overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with.
You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always there to help you through it all.
Hello
God . . .
The
man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled "God, speak to me"
And, the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle."
And, a life was born.
But, the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God and let me know you are
here."
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.
Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
Signs
- There
was a church that had problems with outsiders parking in its parking lots, so
they put up a sign:
"CHURCH CAR PARKING
- FOR MEMBERS ONLY; Trespassers will be baptized!"
- "No God - No Peace. Know God -
Know Peace"
- "Free trip to heaven. Details
inside."
- "Try our Sundays. They are
better than Baskin Robbins."
- "Searching for a new look? Have
your faith lifted here!"
- "When down in the mouth, remember
Jonah. He came out all right."
- "Sign Broken. Message inside
this Sunday."
- "Fight truth decay. Study the
Bible daily."
- "Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty
lives."
- "How will you spend eternity:
Smoking or Non-smoking?"
- "Come work for the Lord. The
work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement
benefits are out of this world."
- "If you don't like the way you were
born, try being Born again."
- "In the dark? Follow the
Son."
- "Come in and pray today. Beat
the Christmas rush!"
- "Running low on faith? Stop in
for a fill-up."
- "If you can't sleep, don't count
sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."
- An ad for one Church has a picture of two
hands holding stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and a
headline that reads:
"For fast, fast,
fast relief, take two tablets."
God's Boxes
I have in my hands two
boxes, which God gave me to hold. He said, "Put all your sorrows in
the black box, and all your joys in the gold." I heeded His words, and in
the two boxes, both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became
heavier each day. The black was as
light as before. With curiosity, I opened the black. I wanted to find out
why, and I saw, in the base of the box, a hole by which my sorrows had fallen
out.
I showed the hole to God,
and mused, "I wonder where my sorrows could be." He smiled a
gentle smile and said, "My child, they're all here with me."
I asked, "God, why give
me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"
"My child, the gold is
for you to count your blessings, The black is for you to let go."
What I Have Learned.....
I've learned....that the best classroom in the world is at
the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned....that when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned....that just one person saying to me,
"You've made my day!" makes my day.
I've learned....that I feel better about myself when I make
others feel better about themselves.
I've learned....that having a child fall asleep in your
arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned....that what we have done for ourselves alone
dies with us. What we have done for
others and the world remains and is immortal.
I've learned....that one sincere apology is worth more than
all the roses money can buy.
I've learned....that being kind is more important than
being right.
I've learned....that you should never say no to a gift from
a child.
I've learned....that I can always pray for someone when I
don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned....that no matter how serious your life
requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned....that sometimes all a person needs is a hand
to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned....that simple walks with my father around the
block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned....that life is like a roll of toilet paper:
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned....that we should be glad God doesn't give us
everything we ask for.
I've learned....that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned....that it's those small daily happenings that
make life so spectacular.
I've learned....that once a relationship is over, if you
experienced more smiles than tears, then it wasn't a waste of time.
I've learned....that under everyone's hard shell is someone
who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned....never to humiliate another person. Always
give him an honorable way to back down, or out of something and still save face.
I've learned....that the Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
I've learned....that
if you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven't done much
today.
I've learned....that when you plan to get even with
someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned....that the older I get, the smarter my
parents become.
I've learned....that love, not time, heals all wounds......
THE EMPTY CHAIR
A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and
pray with her father. When the
minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two
pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed.
The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed
of his visit.. "I guess you were expecting me," he said.
"No, who are you?" said the father. The minister told him his
name and then remarked, "I see the empty chair; I figured you knew I was
going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.
"Would you mind closing the door?"
Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this,
not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never
known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it
went right over my head. I
abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one
day about four years ago my best friend said to me, “Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a
conversation with Jesus. Here is
what I suggest: Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and
in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's
not spooky because he promised; "I'll be with you always." Then just
speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it
a couple of hours every day. I'm
careful though. If my daughter saw
me talking to an empty chair,
she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me
off to the funny farm."
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged
the old man to continue on the journey.
Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned
to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister
that her Daddy had died that afternoon.
"Did he die in peace?" he asked.
"Yes, when I left the house about two o' clock, he
called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When
I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.
But there was something strange about his death.
Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on
the chair beside the bed. What do
you make of that?"
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I
wish we could all go like that.”
For spiritual comfort, please visit the GBGM web site.
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