THE CLIMB

(Miley Cyrus)
I can almost see it, That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it, Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels, Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I, Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing, The chances I'm taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I'm not breaking, The pain I'm knowing
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on,
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
Keep on moving, Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about, It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith

TO LET GO
o To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can t do it for someone else.
o To let go is not to cut myself off, it s the realization that I can t control anot
her.
o To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
o To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hand
s.
o To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it s to make the most of mys
elf.
o To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
o To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
o To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
o To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow
others to affect their own destinies.
o To let go is not to be protective, it s to permit another to face reality.
o To let go is not to criticize, or regulate anyone, but to try to become what I
dream I can do.
o To let go is to fear less, and to love more.
REMEMBER THOSE WHO SERVE
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a
hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front
of him. How much is an ice cream sundae? he asked. 50¢, replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. Wel
l, how much is a plain dish of ice cream? he inquired. By now more people were wa
iting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. 35¢! she brusquely repli
ed.
The little boy again counted his coins. I ll have the plain ice cream, he said. The
waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The b
oy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There
, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You se
e, he couldn t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a
tip.
HELP OTHERS WIN

A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all ph
ysically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 yard d
ash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish
to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled
on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry.
The other eight heard the boy. They slowed down and looked back. They all
turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down s Syndrome ben
t down and kissed him and said, This will make it better. All nine linked arms and
walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the
cheering went on for several minutes.
GIVING WHEN IT COUNTS

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a litt
le girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only ch
ance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother,
who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies
needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little b
oy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate fo
r only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
Yes, I ll do it if it will save her.
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as w
e all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and
his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, Wi
ll I start to die right away? .
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was goin
g to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren t the way you had
hoped they would be.
That s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times
when people disappoint you and let you down.
But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgment
s and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.
There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up
to you to accept them.
Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be ea
sy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of wh
o you are.
So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibi
lities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.
Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you
know are meant to come true for you.
Keep Believing in Yourself.
HOW THE POOR LIVE
One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country
with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a cou
ple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor famil
y. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, How was the trip?
It was great, Dad.
Did you see how poor people live? the father asked.
Oh yeah, said the son.
So, tell me, what did you learned from the trip? asked the father.
The son answered, I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool th
at reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. W
e have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our pa
tio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small
piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have
servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow th
eirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to prot
ect them.
The boy s father was speechless.
Then his son added, Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.
THE COOKIE THIEF
A woman was waiting at the airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.
She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, If I wasn t so nice, I d blackened his eye!
With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he d do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he s also rude,
Why, he didn t even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!
If mine are here, she moaned with despair,
Then the others were his and he tried to share!
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one the ingrate the thief!
DON T QUIT
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you re hardest hit
It s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
BOX OF KISSES
Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold
wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried t
o decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning an
d said, This is for you, Daddy. He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, bu
t his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.
He yelled at her, Don t you know that when you give someone a present, there s suppos
ed to be something inside it?
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, Oh, Daddy, it is
not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy. The father was cr
ushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness
.
It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he
was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of th
e child who had put it there. ****In a very real sense, each of us as h
umans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses
from our children, friends, family and God. There is no more precious possessio
n anyone could hold.
LIFE IS A GIFT
There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she s blind. She hated every
one, except her loving boyfriend. He s always there for her. She said that if she
could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she can see everything,
including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, now that you can see the world,
will you marry me? The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend is blind
too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wr
ote a letter to her saying. Just take care of my eyes dear.
**This is how human brain changes when the status changed.
Only few remember what life was before, and who s always been there even in the mo
st painful situations.
Life is A Gift.
Today before you think of saying an unkind word Think of someone who can t speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food Think of someone who has nothin
g to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife Think of someone who s crying out f
or a companion.
Today before you complain about life Think of someone who went too early to heav
en/hell.
Before you complain about your children Think of someone who desires children bu
t they re barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn t clean or sweep Think of th
e people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same
distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job Think of the unemployed, the
disabled and those who wished they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another Remember that
not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down Put a smile on your face and t
hank you re alive and still around
Life is a gift Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, And Fulfill it.
THE LITTLE BOY
Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. S
he said: How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?
The surgeon said, I m sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn t make it.
Sally said, Why do little children get cancer? Doesn t God care any more? Where wer
e you, God, when my son needed you?
The surgeon asked, Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurse
s will be out in a few minutes, before he s transported to the university.
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good-bye to son. She ran h
er fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair.
Would you like a lock of his hair? the nurse asked.
Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy s hair, put it in a plastic bag
and handed it to Sally. The mother said, It was Jimmy s idea to donate his body to
the university for study. He said it might help somebody else. I said no at first
, but Jimmy said, Mom, I won t be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some oth
er little boy spend one more day with his Mom. She went on, My Jimmy had a heart o
f gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he cou
ld.
Sally walked out of Children s mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending mo
st of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy s belongings on the se
at beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to en
ter the empty house. She carried Jimmy s belongings, and the plastic bag with the
lock of his hair to her son s room. She started placing the model cars and other p
ersonal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid
down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a fold
ed letter. The letter said:
Dear Mom, I know you re going to miss me; but don t think that I will ever forget you
, or stop loving you, just cause I m not around to say I LOVE YOU. I will always lo
ve you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Unti
l then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won t be so lonely, that s okay wit
h me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get
a girl instead, she probably wouldn t like the same things us boys do. You ll have t
o buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don t be sad thinking about me.
This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here an
d showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The ang
els are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn t look
like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself
took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God s knee and talk to Hi
m, like I was somebody important. That s when I told Him that I wanted to write yo
u a letter, to tell you good-bye and everything.
But I already knew that wasn t allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me som
e paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is th
e name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me
to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him Where was He when I
needed him? God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was
on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.
Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I ve written except you. To everyone
else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn t that cool? I have to give God His
pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight
I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I m, sure the food will be great
.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don t hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I m g
lad because I couldn t stand that pain anymore and God couldn t stand to see me hurt
so much, either. That s when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel
 said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?
Signed with Love from: God, Jesus & Me.
I VE LEARNED
I ve learned- that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someon
e who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I ve learned- that no matter how much I care, some people just don t care back.
I ve learned- that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy
it.
I ve learned- that no matter how good a friend is, they re going to hurt you ever
y once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I ve learned- that it s not what you have in your life but who you have in your l
ife that counts.
I ve learned- that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.
I ve learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After th
at, you d better know something.
I ve learned- that you shouldn t compare yourself to the best others can do.
I ve learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you hearta
che for life.
I ve learned- that it s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I ve learned- that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may
be the last time you see them.
I ve learned- that you can keep going long after you can t.
I ve learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I ve learned- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I ve learned- that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I ve learned- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it nee
ds to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I ve learned- that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I ve learned- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the
best time.
I ve learned- that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you re down w
ill be the ones to help you get back up.
I ve learned- that sometimes when I m angry I have the right to be angry, but that
doesn t give me the right to be cruel.
I ve learned- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest dist
ance. Same goes for true love.
I ve learned- that just because someone doesn t love you the way you want them to
doesn t mean they don t love you with all they have.
I ve learned- that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you ve
had and what you ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you ve
celebrated.
I ve learned- that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or o
utlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if th
ey believed it.
I ve learned- that your family won t always be there for you. It may seem funny,
but people you aren t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you t
o trust people again. Families aren t biological.
I ve learned- that it isn t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you
are to learn to forgive yourself.
I ve learned- that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn t stop
for your grief.
I ve learned- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we
are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I ve learned- that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one w
ho needs the least.
I ve learned- that just because two people argue, it doesn t mean they don t love
each other. And just because they don t argue, it doesn t mean they do.
I ve learned- that we don t have to change friends if we understand that friend
s change.
I ve learned- that you shouldn t be so eager to find out a secret. It could cha
nge your life forever.
I ve learned- that two people can look at the exact same thing and see somethi
ng totally different.
I ve learned- that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will e
ventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I ve learned- that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend
cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I ve learned- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human bei
ng.
I ve learned- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you
too soon.
I ve learned- that it s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nic
e and not hurting people s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.
I ve learned- that people will forget what you said, and people will forget wha
t you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
IF I HAD MY LIFE OVER
o I would have talked less and listened more.
o I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and
the sofa faded.
o I would have eaten the popcorn in the good living room and worried much less abo
ut the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
o I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth
.
o I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day becau
se my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle
sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
o I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stai
ns.
o I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV and more while watching
life.
o I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
o I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would
go into a holding pattern if I weren t there for the day.
o I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn t show
soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
o Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I d have cherished every momen
t and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life
to assist God in a miracle.
o When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, Later. Now go get
washed up for dinner.
o There would have been more I love yous more I m sorrys
o But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute look at it an
d really see it live it and never give it back.
In memory of Erma Bombeck
who lost her fight with cancer.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
LOVE IN ACTION
One night a man came to our house and told me, There is a family with eight child
ren. They have not eaten for days, I took some food and I went. When I finally ca
me to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger.
There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I
gave the rice to the mother. She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half
the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, Where did you go? She gave me
this simple answer, To my neighbors-they are hungry also.
I was not surprised that she gave because poor people are generous. But I was surp
rised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are s
o focused on ourselves we have no time for others.
Mother Teresa
TRY HARDER
My little 10-year-old daughter, Sarah was born with a muscle missing in her foot
and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell
me she had competed in field day that s where they have lots of races and other comp
etitive events.
Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement f
or my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down but b
efore I could say anything, she said, Daddy, I won two of the races! I couldn t beli
eve it! And then Sarah said, I had an advantage. I knew it. I thought she must hav
e been given a head start some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I cou
ld say anything, she said, Daddy, I didn t get a head start my advantage was I had to
try harder!
ANGELS
Barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tr
ied to speak, she never said a word. Many people passed, but never did one perso
n stop.
Just so happens the next day I decided to go back to the park, curious if the li
ttle girl would still be there.
Right in the very spot as she was yesterday she sat perched on high, with the sa
ddest look in her eyes. Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the lit
tle girl. As we all know a park full of strange people is not a place for young
children to play.
As I began walking towards her I could see the back of the little girl s dress ind
icated a deformity. I figured that was the reason the people just passed by and
made no effort to help. As I got closer, the little girl slightly lowered her ey
es to avoid my intent stare. I could see the shape of her back more clearly. It
was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form. I smiled to let her know it was ok
, I was there to help, to talk.
I sat down beside her and opened with a simple Hello. The little girl acted shoc
ked and stammered a hi after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly s
miled back. We talked til darkness fell and the park was completely empty. Everyo
ne was gone and we were alone. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little g
irl looked at me and with a sad face said Because I m different.
I immediately said that you are! and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder, sh
e said, I know. Little girl, I said, you remind me of an angel, she stood to her feet
, and said, Really?
Yes, ma am, you re like a little guardian angel sent to watch over all those people w
alking by. She nodded her head yes and smiled, and with that she spread her wings
and said with a twinkle in her eye, I am. I was speechless, sure I was seeing thi
ngs. She said, And since you thought of someone other than yourself, my job here
is done.
Immediately I stood to my feet and said, Wait, so why did no one stop to help an
angel? She looked at me and smiled, You re the only one who could see me, and you be
lieve it in your heart. And She was gone. And with that my life was changed drama
tically.
So, when you think you re all you have, remember, there is an angel always watchin
g over you.
Everyone of your friends is an angel in their own.
- Author Unknown
A SIMPLE GESTURE
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him h
ad tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters
, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped
the boy pick up the scattered articles.
Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As th
ey walked Mark discovered the boy s name was Bill, that he loved video games, base
ball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects
and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill s home f
irst and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television.
The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, th
en Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch tog
ether once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up
in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally th
e long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Ma
rk if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. Did you ever wond
er why I was carrying so many things home that day? asked Bill. You see, I cleaned
out my locker because I didn t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored
away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide.
But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I
had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might
follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot
more, you saved my life.
-John W. Schlatter (true story)

GREAT MARRIAGE STORY

My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady nature, and I
love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.
Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit
, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me loving him before, has now tr
ansformed into the cause of all my restlessness.
I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship
and my feelings, I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning
for candy. My husband is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity, and the
inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me abo
ut love.
One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce. Why?
he asked, shocked. I am tired, there are no reasons for everything in the world! I
answered. He kept silent the whole night, seems to be in deep thought with a li
ghted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased, here
was a man who can t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him? A
nd finally he asked me: What can I do to change your mind?
Somebody said it right, it s hard to change a person s personality, and I guess, I h
ave started losing faith in him. Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered : H
ere is the question, if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my m
ind, Let s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we bo
th are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me
? He said : I will give you your answer tomorrow . My hopes just sank by listening to
his response.
I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his s
cratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front
door, that goes . My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow
me to explain the reasons further.. This first line was already breaking my heart
. I continued reading.
When you use the computer you always mess up the Software programs, and you cry i
n front of the screen, I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore t
he

programs. You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to
rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way
in a new city, I have to save my eyes to show you the way. You always have the
cramps whenever your good friend approaches every month, I have to save my palms s
o that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.
You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile aut
ism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom.
You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes,
I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails,
and help to remove those annoying white hairs. So I can also hold your hand whil
e strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand and
tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young fac
e Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I
do I could not pick that flower yet, and die..
My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting and as I cont
inue on reading Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfie
d, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite b
read and fresh milk I rush to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutc
hing tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread .
Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have
decided to leave the flower alone
That s life, and love. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement f
ades away, and one tends to ignore the true love that lies in between the peace
and dullness.
Love shows up in all forms, even very small and cheeky forms, it has never been
a model, it could be the most dull and boring form.. . flowers, and romantic mom
ents are only used and appear on the surface of the relationship. Under all this
, the pillar of true love stands and that s our life
Love, not words win arguments
DON T HOPE DECIDE
While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one
of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about the kin
d that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away fro
m me.
Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way
, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right nex
t to me to greet his family.
First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his
bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look
in each other s face, I heard the father say, It s so good to see you, son. I missed
you so much! His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, M
e, too, Dad!
Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) a
nd while cupping his son s face in his hands said, You re already quite the young man
. I love you very much, Zach! They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.
While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirm
ing excitedly in her mother s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wond
erful sight of her returning father. The man said, Hi, baby girl! as he gently too
k the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held h
er close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl insta
ntly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure conten
tment.
After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, I ve
saved the best for last! and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passion
ate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and
then silently mouthed. I love you so much! They stared at each other s eyes, beaming
big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.
For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kid
s that they couldn t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized ho
w totally
engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an
arm s length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading som
ething sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, Wow! How long h
ave you two been married?
Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those. he replied, without b
reaking his gaze from his lovely wife s face. Well then, how long have you been awa
y? I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smi
le. Two whole days!
Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he d been
gone for at least several weeks if not months. I know my expression betrayed me
.
I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of gra
ce (and to get back to searching for my friend), I hope my marriage is still that
passionate after twelve years!
The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with for
cefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a di
fferent person. He told me, Don t hope, friend decide! Then he flashed me his wonderf
ul smile again, shook my hand and said, God bless!
ONE STEP
Foolish people with all their other thoughts, have this one too: They are always
getting ready to live, but never living.
Your success will start when you begin to pursue it. To reach your goal or to at
tain success, you don t need to know all of the answers in advance. You just need
to have a clear idea of what your goal is.
Don t procrastinate when faced with difficult problems. Break your problems into p
arts, and handle one part at a time.
Develop tendencies toward taking action. You can make something happen right now
. Divide your big plan into small steps and take that first step right away.

Everyone who ever got where they are had to begin where they were. Your big oppo
rtunity is where you are right now.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Take it.
PRISON HELP
An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but i
t was very hard work. His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. Th
e old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:
Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won t be able to plant my potato g
arden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden because your mother always love
d planting time. I m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you w
ere here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, i
f you weren t in prison.
Love,
Dad
€
Shortly, the old man received this telegram: For Heaven s sake, Dad, don t dig up the
garden!! That s where I buried the GUNS!!
At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed
up and dug up the entire garden without finding any guns.
Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what had happene
d, and asked him what to do next.
His son s reply was: Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad. It s the best I could do
for you, from here.
MORAL:
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP F
ROM YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS, NOT WHERE YOU ARE
OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.

A SMILE
A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor,
but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the
countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and
it is nature s best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that i
s of no value to anyone, until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile;
Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to g
ive.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE
Once a fisherman was sitting near seashore, under the shadow of a tree smoking h
is beedi. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and enquired as
to why he was sitting under a tree smoking and not working. To this the poor fis
herman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.
Hearing this the rich man got angry and said: Why don t you catch more fishes inst
ead of sitting in shadow wasting your time?
Fisherman asked: What would I do by catching more fishes?
Businessman: You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy
a bigger boat.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and
earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and
earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could become a rich businessman like me.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully.
Fisherman: What do you think I m doing right now?
MORAL You don t need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy your life. You don t
even need to be more rich, more powerful to enjoy life. LIFE is at this moment,
enjoy it fully.
As some great men have said My riches consist not in extent of my possessions but
in the fewness of my wants .
PAID IN FULL
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way throu
gh school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided h
e would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a love
ly young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.
She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it
slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you? You don t owe me anything, she replied.

Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness. He said, Then I thank you
from my heart.
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his f
aith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffle
d. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to st
udy her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When
he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Im
mediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in
his doctor s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back
to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that d
ay he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business offi
ce to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote somet
hing on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for s
he was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she lo
oked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to r
ead the following words:
Paid in full with one glass of milk
Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.
LIFE
Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were mean
t to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you
figure out who you are or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a fr
iend, a lover, or even a complete stranger but when you lock eyes with them, you
know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.
Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at fi
rst, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you woul
d have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.
Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all o
ccur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they m
ay be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It wou
ld be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you expe
rience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences
can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones.
If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only b
ecause they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and ho
w to open your heart and eyes to things.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they
have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom y
ou open your heart.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everyt
hing that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Tal
k to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they have t
o say.
Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head
up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and
believe in yourself, for if you don t believe in yourself, it will be hard for ot
hers to believe in you.
You can make anything you wish of your life. Create your own life and then go ou
t and live it with absolutely no regrets.
And if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in
store.
Learn a lesson in life each day that you live!
Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday.
Think About it? Was it worth it?
TEMPER CONTROL

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of n
ails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into
the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails
hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his
temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the
boy didn t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father sugg
ested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold h
is temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all t
he nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence
. He said you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fen
ce will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just
like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won t matter how many times you s
ay I m sorry, the wound is still there.
Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something
you will regret later.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren t the way you had
hoped they would be.
That s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times
when people disappoint you and let you down.
But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgment
s and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.
There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up
to you to accept them.
Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be ea
sy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of wh
o you are. So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected
responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to
be.
Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you
know are meant to come true for you. Keep Believing in Yourself.
DON T BE AFRAID
Here we are, afraid of losing what we have all the time, holding on to it so tig
ht that not a soul can touch it. We think by hiding it from the world, it s hidden
and it s ours. Nothing is. Nothing ever will be. For, nothing ever was.
If you think there is anything that you have, that s yours, be it money, a house,
a job, or a girlfriend it s nothing but an illusion. It ll all disappear in one blow.
One blow, my man.
Here we are, so insecure that we are afraid of re-starting our lives, so we just
carry on trying to sort out the current mess. The thought that we should give i
t all up and just start all over with nothing might cross our minds some time, s
ure, but we get scared and we push away anything that scares us.
There is nothing I can ever achieve or gain that I cannot lose, in a matter of s
econds. You have never gained enough to not be able to lose it all, in just a fe
w minutes. What you think is yours, was never yours and will never be yours. Wha
tever you make here, you leave here. You came naked and you re going to go back na
ked.
So what are you afraid of?
Let all be lost. Let them take away everything. As long as you have your heart b
eating strong, as long as you have your nostrils working fine, as long as the bl
ood flows in your veins, you will live, you will breathe and you can get it all
back again and again.
For, if you can do it once, you can damn well do it again. It s just a game we pla
y Life.
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a play
ground. "That's my son over there," she
said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.
"He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue
sweater." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son. "What do you say we
go, Todd?"
Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The
man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content.
Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. "Time to go now
?"
Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." The man sm
iled and said, "Okay."
"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.
The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver l
ast year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with To
mmy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed no
t to make the same mistake with Todd.
"He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is . . . I get five more
minutes to watch him play."
Author unknown
I was created by God; Saved by Jesus
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Who
Committed to serve and not to be served; Stands persecuted
Doesn t earn money but trust; Imitates the Lord Jesus Christ
Works hard without pay; Faithfully doing what s right everyday
Is frequently questioned and put to the test; Learns from people and experiences
Grows maturely and spiritually; Avoids vices but not responsibility
Sacrifices time and energy; Lives a God-centered life
Prayer & reading the bible is my only weapon.
I don t save lives Yet I save souls.
An ordinary young adult doing extraordinary
missionary God s work
Proud to be a CFC Youth for Christ (YFC). It isn t a name and serving others is my
game. All for God s glory!!
By: Sarah Lim :) PYC 2009
KAHIT WALA NA KAMI DITO
V1:
Kung kami y malayo na
Sana y di kayo magbago
Kailan man
Nasaan ma y
Ito ang pangarap ko
C1:
Makuha mo pa kayang
Kami y isipin, oohh
Hanggang sa prayer time natin
Nagtatanong lang sa inyo
Ako pa kaya y isipin mo?
Kahit wala na kami dito
V2:
Pagdating ng araw
Ikaw ay aalis na rin
Sabay tayong mangangarap
Sa community natin
C2:
Ang nakalipas ay ibabalik natin, oohh..
Ipapaalala ko sa yo
Ang aking pangako
Na brothers at sisters pa rin tayo
Kahit wala na kami dito
****REPEAT C2
Kahit wala na kami dito

Especially for YOU!!!

Just prepared a little something to a special person who touched and gav
e meaning to my life. I know this isn t the end hehe and actually it s just starting
and I owe it all to YOU! Nobody nobody but YOU!!! Clap clap!
I would like to say THANK YOU for the time you ve spent with me for the laughter we al
ways shared for always being there when I needed you for being yourself and not pret
ending to be like others for joyfully serving the Lord for understanding & being pat
ient with me for working with me for bearing my attitude & personality for meeting you
, your family & friends for being a BLESSING not only to ME but to OTHERS too.. :)
in short Thank you for every little & big things that I can t mention
I m SORRY for my lapses my mistakes & shortcomings if I wasn t there when you needed me fo
hurting you...for making you feel alone & not wanted for saying and doing bad thi
ngs and in all I ve done that made you feel bad.. I m just human and I m trying hard to
be the best I can be..to spend my time with you and with them too Please forgive
me.. I admit my mistakes..
People have to move on because of a lot of reasons. I don t know maybe it is God s w
ill. Well that s life haay and there s nothing we can do about it and only God can Heh
e I ll miss you and everything and everyone that I ll be leaving behind I know God ha
s prepared a lot of things for all of us.. I don t want to disobey my family esp.
my parents because they re important to me and that what they want is maybe what G
od really wants. Hmmm who knows???? I have to face a new chapter of my life. He
wants me there because He thinks I m needed there rather than here in Roxas. I hav
e to let go haaay ang hirap!!!!
Somehow I have to accept the fact that I have to go. Though I don t want to but I
really have to. I have to be strong for my God, family, community and for myself a
s well bakit ba kailangan pang magpaalam? Haha Sige I ll see you soon na lang para m
as ok hehe..can t wait to be back again!!! Basta un na un!!
Just don t forget your commitment kay Lord tsaka to continue serving this communit
y para we could help our fellow brothers and sisters. & that you won t forget to C
OMMUNICATE with others always. Kasi importante un. Kaya iText mo ko! Haha! O kay
a I-email mo hehe
My fear is that when I m gone I might be forgotten.. Ayoko ng ganun hehe..but I ll try
to keep in touch as long as I can.
Keep on moving keep climbing keep the faith
A favor I would like to ask is that you can use this compilation of stories in e
vangelizing & inspiring others about the Lord our God. I hope this would be a gr
eat help
Hawaan lang yan noh kaya spread the LOVE..spread everything until there s nothing
left for you. Give until you bleed.. give your everything.. Serve the Lord while
you are available. And before it s too late.
GOD. PCG. YFC HS Core. CFC/YFC Coordinators. My beloved VIPs. Friends. Brothers
& sisters. YFC Community.
You have been a part of my life and I without you I won t be complete. I won t be wh
at I have become now. All thanks to your support & prayers. Yehey! Praise the LO
RD!!!!
Basta I ll always be your sister and that I ll try to be available whenever you need
me. I shall return. SOON! Haha.. I LOVE YOU.. GOD BLESS US ALL! More power!
Let s continue to BLESS OTHERS WITH OUR BLESSINGS and to always PRAY for ONE ANOTHER
.
This is our mission -->to proclaim to the world of the grace of GOD!!! Also to e
vangelize and bring back the youths to the Lord..
Sige that s all..wla na akong masabi haha..INGAT! MWAH!

With all my LOVE & prayers,

SARAH LAUREN A. LIM, RN
YFC missionary. :)
09214424445
sarahkailyn@yahoo.com
<PIXTEL_MMI_EBOOK_2005>1</PIXTEL_MMI_EBOOK_2005>