The Ant & the Contact Lens

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to
death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the
gear, took hold on the rope and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where
she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against
Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.
Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet Below her and hundreds of feet above
her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just
wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began
to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was
no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the
rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.
She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says,
"The eyes of the
Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these
mountains. You
know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."
Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of
climbers just starting
up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"
Well, that
would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly
across the face
of the rock, carrying it.
Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant,
the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the
words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully
heavy. But if this is what You want me do, I'll carry it
for You." I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know
why you want me to carry
this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want Me to carry it, I will." God
doesn't call the
qualified, He qualifies the called.

The Dart Board

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her
teacher, whom
we'll call Brother Smith. She says Brother Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One
particular day, Sally walked into seminary and knew they were in for another fun day.
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Brother Smith told the
students to draw
a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would
allow them to
throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's girlfriend (on her right), drew a picture of a girl who
had stolen her
boyfriend. Another friend (on her left), drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of
Brother Smith,
putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on his face. Sally was
pleased at the
overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the
students threw
their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn,
and was filled
with disappointment when Brother Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to
their seats.
As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any
darts at her
target, Brother Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a
picture of Jesus
...
A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and
jagged
marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced out. Brother Smith said only these words, "In as much
as

ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." No other words
were
necessary; the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ. The
students remained
in their seats . . . even after the bell rang . . . then slowly left the classroom, tears streaming
down their faces.
Enough Said!!! "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that
you did it to
one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40

The Bridge
There was once a big turntable bridge, which spanned a large river. During most of the day, the
bridge sat
with the length running up and down the river parallel with the banks allowing ships to pass
freely on both
sides of the bridge. But, at certain times of the day, a certain train would come along and the
bridge would be
turned sideways across the river allowing the train to cross. A switchman sat in a small shack on
one side of
the river, where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place when the train
crossed.
One evening, when the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked
off into the
distance, through the dimming twilight, and caught sight of the train's light. He stepped to the
controls and
waited until the train was at a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the
bridge into
position, but to his horror, he found that the locking control didn't work. If the bridge was not
locked securely
into position, it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came to it, causing the
train to jump
the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people
aboard. He left the
shack with the bridge turned across the river, and hurried to the other side of the river, where
there was a
lever, which he could use to operate the lock manually. He could hear the rumble of the train
now, and leaned
backwards to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. Many lives depended upon this man's
strength.
Then, coming across the bridge from the other direction, he heard a sound that made his blood
run cold.
"Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first
instinct was to
cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close. The tiny feet would never make it
across the
bridge in time. The man almost left the lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to
safety, but he
realized he could not get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train, or his son,
must die. He took
just a moment to make his decision.
The train sped swiftly and safely on its way, and no one on board was even aware of the tiny,
broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the rushing train. Nor were they aware of the
pitiful figure of a sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had
passed. They didn't see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked to tell his wife
how he had sacrificed their son.
Now, if you can comprehend the emotions, which went through this man's heart, you can begin
to understand
the feelings of our Heavenly Father, when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us,
and eternal
life. Can there be any wonder that he caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when
His Son
died? And how does it feel when we speed along life without giving a thought to what was done
for us
through Jesus Christ? When was the last time you thanked Him for the sacrifice of His Son? -
Author
Unknown

Our Heavenly Father's Gifts

I asked God to take away my pride, And God said "No." He said it was not for him to take away, but for
me to
give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. And
God said "No." He
said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience. And God said "No." He said patience is a by-product of
tribulations. It isn't
granted, it is earned.I asked God to give me happiness. And God said "No." He said he gives
me blessings,
happiness is up to me. I asked God to spare me pain. And God said "No." He said suffering
draws you apart
from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow. And God said "No." He said I must grow on my own. But he
would prune
me to make me fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. And God said "No." He said I will give you life,
that you may
enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me. And God said, Ah, finally you
have the idea.
Amen!!!

A Letter To You From Satan

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a
matter of fact,
you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I
like that
about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, fool,
you are mine.
Remember you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don't love you yet. As a
matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to get even with God. He
kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.
You see, FOOL, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yield
your life to
me, and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really
hurt God.
Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we had.
We have
been watching dirty movies, cursing people out, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating,
overeating,
telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being judgmental, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults, and
those in
leadership positions, no respect for the Church, bad attitudes. Surely you don't want to give all
this up. Come
on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us.
This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use
you for most of
your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA
HA HA, you
make me sick. sin is beginning to take it's toll on your life. You look 20 years older, and now, I
need new
blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk
or drink while
under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible. Do all of this
in the
presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.
Well Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If
you were
smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, and live for God with what little bit of life
that you have
left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit
ridiculous. Don't
get me wrong, I still hate you. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

The Brothel
The madam opened the brothel door in Elko County ,
Nevada , and saw a rather dignified, well-dressed,
good-looking man in his late forties or early fifties.
'May I help you sir?' she asked.
'I want to see Valerie,' the man replied.
'Sir, Valerie is one of our most expensive ladies.
Perhaps you would prefer someone else', said the
madam.
'No, I must see Valerie,' he replied.
Just then, Valerie appeared and announced to the
man she charged $10,000 a visit.
Without hesitation, the man pulled out ten thousand
dollars and gave it to Valerie, and they went
upstairs. After an hour, the man calmly left.
The next night, the man appeared again, once more
demanding to see Valerie.
Valerie explained that no one had ever come back two
nights in a row as she was so very expensive. There
were no discounts and the price was still $10,000.
The gentleman did not blink an eye. Again, he pulled
out a wad of cash, gave it to Valerie, and they went
upstairs...After an hour, he left.
The following night the man was there yet
again. Everyone was astounded that he had come for
a third consecutive night, maybe a record in the
history of brothels in Nevada , which date back into
the early 1800's. But without hesitation he paid
Valerie the ten grand and off they went upstairs.
After their session, Valerie said to the man,'No one
has ever been with me three nights in a row.Where
are you from?'
The man replied,' Billings ,Montana .'
'Really', she said. 'I have family in Billings .'
'I know.' the man said. 'I regret to tell you, but your
sister died, and I am her attorney.She asked me to
give you your $30,000 inheritance.'
The moral of the story is that three things in life are
certain:
1. Death
2. Taxes
3. Being screwed by a lawyer
LITTLE RALPHY ON MATH'S
A teacher asks her class, 'If there are 5 birds sitting on a fence and you
shoot one of them, how many will be left?'
She calls on little Ralphy.
He replies, 'None, they will all fly away with the first gunshot.'
The teacher replies, 'The correct answer is 4, but I like your thinking..'
Then little RALPHY says, 'I have a question for YOU.
There are 3 women sitting on a bench having ice cream:
One is delicately licking the sides of the triple scoop of ice cream.
The second is gobbling down the top and sucking the cone.
The third is biting off the top of the ice cream.
Which one is married?'
The teacher, blushing a great deal, replied, 'Well, I suppose the one that's
gobbled down the top and sucked the cone.'
To which Little RALPHY replied, 'The correct answer is 'the one with the
wedding ring on,' but I like your thinking.'
LITTLE RALPHY ON MATH (Part 2)
Little RALPHY returns from school and says he got an F in arithmetic.
'Why?' asks the father?
'The teacher asked 'How much is 2x3,'' I said '6', replies RALPHY.
'But that's right!' says his dad.
'Yeah, but then she asked me 'How much is 3x2?''
'What's the f....... difference?' asks the father.
'That's what I said!'
LITTLE RALPHY ON ENGLISH
Little RALPHY goes to school, and the teacher says, 'Today we are going to
learn multi-syllable words, class. Does anybody have an example of a
multi-syllable word?'
RALPHY says 'Mas-tur-bate. .'
Miss Rogers smiles and says, 'Wow, little RALPHY, that's a mouthful.'
Little RALPHY says, 'No, Miss Rogers, you're thinking of a b***job.'
LITTLE RALPHY ON GRAMMAR (Part 2)
One day, during lessons on proper grammar, the teacher asked for a show of
hands from those who could use the word 'beautiful' in the same sentence
twice.
First, she called on little Suzie, who responded with, 'My father bought my
mother a beautiful dress and she looked beautiful in it.'
'Very good, Suzie,' replied the teacher. She then called on little Michael.
'My mummy planned a beautiful banquet and it turned out beautifully.'
She said, 'Excellent, Michael!' Then the teacher reluctantly called on
little RALPHY.
'Last night at the dinner table, my sister told my father that she was
pregnant, and he said 'Beautiful, just f...... beautiful!''
LITTLE RALPHY ON GETTING OLDER
Little RALPHY was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after
another.
After the 6th one a man on the bench across from him said, 'Son, you know
eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your
teeth, and make you fat.'
Little RALPHY replied, 'My grandfather lived to be 107 years old.'
The man asked, 'Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time?'
Little RALPHY answered, 'No, he minded his own f....... business.
I LOVE Little RALPHY!!!!!
John asks his grandpa: 'Do you still have sex with Granny?'
Grandpa says: 'Yes, but only Oral'.
John says: 'what is oral?'
Grandpa: 'I say F**k you, and she says:F**k you too'
_____________________________________________________________________
The 3 tragedies in a man's life:
1- life sucks
2- job sucks
3- Wife does NOT!
_____________________________________________________________________
A man is dying of cancer.
His son: 'Dad why you keep telling people you're dying of AIDS??'..
Answer: 'so that when I die, no one will dare to f**k your mother.'
_____________________________________________________________________
'I am your Doctor. Sorry to inform you that you have a brain problem.
Your brain is in 2 parts... Left and right.
The left part has nothing right in it, and the right has nothing left in it'
_____________________________________________________________________
Question: 'Why is a waist called a waist?'
Answer: 'Because anything above the p**sy and below the tits is a waste'
_____________________________________________________________________
A lady tells her Man: 'I demand good manners in bed, just like at the dining
table'.
The man climbs into bed slowly and says:
'Honey, would you please pass me the vagina?'
_____________________________________________________________________

Question: 'what's common between a good-looking, faithful, rich husband who

satisfies his wife sexually every night and Bin Laden?'
'BOTH CANNOT BE FOUND'
Amazing theorem
Equation 1
Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Donkey = eat + sleep
Therefore,
Human = Donkey + work + enjoy
Therefore,
Human - enjoy = Donkey + work
In other words,
Humans that don't know how to enjoy = Donkeys that work
Equation 2
Men = eat + sleep + earn money
Donkeys = eat + sleep
Therefore,
Men = Donkeys + earn money
Therefore,
Men - earn money = Donkeys
In other words,
Men that don't earn money = Donkeys

============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ====

Equation 3
Women = eat + sleep + spend
Donkeys = eat + sleep
Therefore,
Women = Donkeys + spend
Therefore,
Women - spend = Donkeys
In other words,
Women that don't spend = Donkeys
============ ========= ========= ========= ========= =====
To Conclude:
>From Equation 2 and Equation 3
Men that don't earn money = Women that don't spend.
So, Men earn money not to let women become Donkeys! (Postulate 1)
And, Women spend not to let men become Donkeys! (Postulate 2)
So, we have?
Men + Women = Donkeys + earn money + Donkeys + spend money
Therefore from Postulates 1 and 2, we can conclude,
Man + Woman = 2 Donkeys that live happily together
British Hindi ... read aloud this is Hilarious!!!
Due to the way our Hindi was spoken/pronounced by those British then in
India (as exemplified in Lagaan!!), see the following self-explanatory:
GANPAT RAI Bihari,(who really needs a job) is being interviewed by a British
Colonel Smith.
Col. Smith: "Haan toh Gaand Fat rahai (Ganpat Rai)!"
Bihari: "Nahi, sir, jyada nahi!"
Col. Smith: "Kya 'jyada nahi' bolta hai, tumhara application me likha hua
hai Gand fat rahai."
Bihari : "Theekh hai mai baap, likha hai to fat raha hoga."
Col. Smith: "Tum daily marata hai (tumDelhi me rahta hai)?"
Bihari : "Nahi sir, kabhi kabhi!"
Col. Smith: "Gand fat rahai, idhar aaoo, kya 'kabhi kabhi' bolta hai?
Tumhara application mein likha hua hai ki tum daily marata hai."
Bihari : "Theek hai mai bap, likha hai to marata honga."
The Bihari was employed on one condition that he will do whatever Col.
Smiths' family asks him to do.
Col. Smith: "Gand fatrahai!"
Bihari : "Ji maalik."
Col. Smith: "Aaj tum ko 3 kaam karnee kaa haai."
Bihari : "Hukum Sarkaar!"
Col. Smith: "Tum pehla hamaari beti ko chodenga (drop her off)...baad mein
hamaari biwi ko chodenga...aur uske baad mein hum ko chodenga."
Bihari : "Maaf karna Sarkaar, tumhari biwi aur beti to theek hai, lekin main
aap ko nahi chod sakta."
Col.Smith: "Gand fatrahai! Tum ko hum ko chodnaa padhega."
Bihari : "Nahi sarkaar, aisa zulum naa kare."
Col. Smith: "Gand fatrahai, agar tum hum ko nahi chod sakta to hum tumko
nokri se nikaal denga."
Bihari : "Theek hai, sarkaar. .. .jo hukum."
After a few days there is no one except Col.Smith's wife at home. She is alone in her bedroom. While
wearing her bra she is unable to 'tie the knot behind.' So...
Wife: "Gand fatrahai, idhar aaoo?"
Bihariri : "Ji Maalkin."
Wife: "Gand fatrahai, hammara peeche se gaand maaro!" (gaanth maro - tie the
bra knot).
Bihari : "Yeh kya keh rahi hai, Maalkin?"
Wife: "Gand fatrahai, jaldi se gaand maaro hum ko late hota hai."
Bihari : "Nahi Nahi, Maalkin. Agar maine aisa kiya to hum ko sarkar kacha
kha jayenge."
Wife: "Gand fatrahai, agar tumne jaldi se hamari gaand nahi maari to hum
tumko kacha kha jaayengi."
Bihari : "Theek hai maalkin. Jo hukum."
Ganpatrai who has been frustrated by these Brits for a long time, starts
like a bull.
Panic stricken the wife tries to turn and shouts: "GAND FATRAHAI, GAND
FATRAHAI, GAND FATRAHAI!"
Bihari: "Memsaab...Gaand maarega to Gaand to phatega ne!"
Case 1
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at
zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade
and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down,underwater, in
practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300
degrees C. And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.
Case 2
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the
empty soapbox, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The
company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soapbox that was empty.
Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which
transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some
reason, one
soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to
solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine
with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soapboxes that
passed through the line to make sure they
were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a
whooping amount to do so. But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company
was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc.,
but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong
industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line.. He switched the fan on, and
as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral: Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems
Always Focus on solutions & not on problems So at the end of the day the thing that really matters is
HOW ONE LOOKS INTO THE PROBLEM, mere perceptions can solve the tough problems....

Inspiring Stories
They Said It Couldn't Be Done
by Jason Gracia
They said it couldn't be done. Many scientists agreed, it was physically impossible. No one could
ever run the mile in under four minutes. No one ever has, they said, and no one ever will.
Roger Bannister must have been absent that day in class, because on
May 6, 1954, he ran the mile in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.
This feat ended the world's nine year quest for the four-minute mile. After Bannister's sub four-
minute mile, others also added their names to the list.
Once someone proved they could accomplish the impossible, others found they could also.
Could this be happening today? Many people today can tell you this or that will never be done.
They may even tell you that your dream is impossible.
Roger Bannister proved them all wrong, and so can you.
Victory Against Cancer
by Jason Gracia
In October of 1996, Lance Armstrong, America's greatest cyclist, received the news. He was a
hero both here and abroad. He was called the 'Golden Boy of American Cycling,' and felt like
nothing could stop him.
Something did. He was unable to finish a race in 1996 due to
excruciating pain. He was rushed to the hospital to find the cause.
THE NEWS
That month Lance underwent several tests, and the diagnosis was testicular cancer. The cancer
had spread to his lungs and his brain. After undergoing three immediate surgeries, his chances
for recovery were 50/50. The man who had everything, was now hoping to have one thing, life.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
With the support of his family and friends, and his unstoppable attitude, Armstrong started to
improve. The chemotherapy started to work and he started to once again think about racing.
1

Some thought he was crazy. He was just battling cancer, how could he
think about ever racing again?
TAKING ACTION
He did more than think about it. He did it. Armstrong began training only five months after his
diagnosis. He did not feel cursed, but lucky. He was given a new viewpoint on life. Armstrong
realized how lucky of a man he really was.
Now that he beat cancer, Lance Armstrong took on the next biggest
challenge, the Tour de Frances. Not only did he race well, he won.
Some were unsure if he could survive cancer. He did. Some were unsure if he could train again.
He did. Few thought he could win again. He did.
The Daffodil Principle
by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come and see the daffodils
before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake
Arrowhead. Going and coming took most of a day--and I honestly did not have a free day until
the following week.
"I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday
dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove the length of Route 91, continued on
I-215, and finally turned onto Route 18 and began to drive up the mountain highway. The tops of
the mountains were sheathed in clouds, and I had gone only a few miles when the road was
completely covered with a wet, gray blanket of fog. I slowed to a crawl, my heart pounding. The
road becomes narrow and winding toward the top of the mountain.
As I executed the hazardous turns at a snail's pace, I was praying to reach the turnoff at Blue Jay
that would signify I had arrived. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and
greeted my grandchildren I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the
clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these darling children that I
want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"
2
My daughter smiled calmly," We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me
back on the road until it clears--and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. The mechanic just called, and
they've finished repairing the engine," she answered.
"How far will we have to drive?" I asked cautiously.
"Just a few blocks," Carolyn said cheerfully.
So we buckled up the children and went out to my car. "I'll drive," Carolyn offered. "I'm used to
this." We got into the car, and she began driving.
In a few minutes I was aware that we were back on the Rim-of-the- World Road heading over
the top of the mountain. "Where are we going?" I exclaimed, distressed to be back on the
mountain road in the fog. "This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of
the daffodils."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, trying to sound as if I was still the mother and in charge of the
situation, "please turn around. There is nothing in the world that I want to see enough to drive on
this road in this weather."
"It's all right, Mother," She replied with a knowing grin. "I know what I'm doing. I promise, you
will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
And so my sweet, darling daughter who had never given me a minute of difficulty in her whole
life was suddenly in charge -- and she was kidnapping me! I couldn't believe it. Like it or not, I
was on the way to see some ridiculous daffodils -- driving through the thick, gray silence of the
mist-wrapped mountaintop at what I thought was risk to life and limb.
I muttered all the way. After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road that
branched down into an oak-filled hollow on the side of the mountain. The Fog had lifted a little,
but the sky was lowering, gray and heavy with clouds.
We parked in a small parking lot adjoining a little stone church. From
our vantage point at the top of the mountain we could see beyond us,
3
in the mist, the crests of the San Bernardino range like the dark, humped backs of a herd of
elephants. Far below us the fog-shrouded valleys, hills, and flatlands stretched away to the
desert.
On the far side of the church I saw a pine-needle-covered path, with towering evergreens and
manzanita bushes and an inconspicuous, lettered sign "Daffodil Garden."
We each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path as it wound through the
trees. The mountain sloped away from the side of the path in irregular dips, folds, and valleys,
like a deeply creased skirt.
Live oaks, mountain laurel, shrubs, and bushes clustered in the folds, and in the gray, drizzling
air, the green foliage looked dark and monochromatic. I shivered. Then we turned a corner of the
path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight, unexpectedly and
completely splendid. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it
down over the mountain peak and slopes where it had run into every crevice and over every rise.
Even in the mist-filled air, the mountainside was radiant, clothed in massive drifts and waterfalls
of daffodils. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of
deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.
Each different-colored variety (I learned later that there were more than thirty-five varieties of
daffodils in the vast display) was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own
river with its own unique hue.
In the center of this incredible and dazzling display of gold, a great cascade of purple grape
hyacinth flowed down like a waterfall of blossoms framed in its own rock-lined basin, weaving
through the brilliant daffodils. A charming path wound throughout the garden. There were
several resting stations, paved with stone and furnished with Victorian wooden benches and great
tubs of coral and carmine tulips. As though this were not magnificence enough, Mother Nature
had to add her own grace note -- above the daffodils, a bevy of western bluebirds flitted and
darted, flashing their brilliance. These charming little birds are the color of sapphires with breasts
of magenta red. As they dance in the air, their colors are truly like jewels above the blowing,
glowing daffodils. The effect was spectacular.
It did not matter that the sun was not shining. The brilliance of the daffodils was like the glow of
the brightest sunlit day. Words, wonderful as they are, simply cannot describe the incredible
beauty of that flower-bedecked mountain top.
4
Five acres of flowers! (This too I discovered later when some of my questions were answered.)
"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. I was overflowing with gratitude that she brought me
-- even against my will. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"Who?" I asked again, almost speechless with wonder, "And how, and
why, and when?"
"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn
pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house, my mind buzzing with questions. On the patio we saw a poster. "
Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a
simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman, two
hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
There it was. The Daffodil Principle.
For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never
met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun -- one bulb at a time -- to bring her
vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. One bulb at a time.
There was no other way to do it. One bulb at a time. No shortcuts -- simply loving the slow
process of planting. Loving the work as it unfolded.
Loving an achievement that grew so slowly and that bloomed for only three weeks of each year.
Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.
This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created
something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principle of celebration: learning to
move toward our goals and desires one step at a time -- often just one baby-step at a time --
learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.
5
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we
can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"Carolyn," I said that morning on the top of the mountain as we left the haven of daffodils, our
minds and hearts still bathed and bemused by the splendors we had seen, "it's as though that
remarkable woman has needle-pointed the earth! Decorated it. Just think of it, she planted every
single bulb for more than thirty years. One bulb at a time! And that's the only way this garden
could be created. Every individual bulb had to be planted. There was no way of short-circuiting
that process. Five acres of blooms. That magnificent cascade of hyacinth!
All, all, just one bulb at a time."
The thought of it filled my mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of what I
had seen. "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if
I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a
time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My wise daughter put the car into gear and summed up the message of the day in her direct way.
"Start tomorrow," she said with the same knowing smile she had worn for most of the morning.
Oh, profound wisdom!
It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a
celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use tomorrow?"
The Dream Behind Wendy's
by Jason Gracia
As a young boy, Dave Thomas didn't have the easiest childhood. He was an adopted child, and
was never able to meet his birth parents. The relationship he had with his adoptive father was
difficult to say the least. This didn't stop the young Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, from
dreaming.
In his autobiography, he states, 'At the age of eight, I dreamed that
one day I would own the best restaurant in the world.'
Despite his surroundings, Dave Thomas had a dream, and knew it
would be realized, someday.
6

PERSISTENCE
Through hard work and persistence, this young boy learned much about the restaurant business
by working in them at a very young age. He was passionate about his goal, and worked diligently
to assure its attainment.
As opportunities presented themselves, Mr. Thomas jumped. He was able to start his own
restaurant and take a giant step closer to his dream. This did not, however, come to him on a
silver platter.
TAKING RISKS
Dave Thomas invested everything he had into the first Wendy's restaurant, not knowing whether
or not it would be successful. He could have lost it all, but that didn't stop him.
A DREAM REALIZED
Today, Wendy's is a $3 billion dollar company, and Dave Thomas is a man who had a dream,
and did everything possible to make it come true.
A boy with a dream is a powerful thing. Add to this equation
persistence and passion, and you have an unstoppable force.
7
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The Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection,
from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the
Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war.

He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another

soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the

door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many
lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died
instantly.

He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this
isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe
at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.

The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man
and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a
gift".

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see
the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential
people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for
their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his

gavel. We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.

“Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the

famous paintings. Skip this one."

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who

will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. “We
2
didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the

Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the

son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime

gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a

poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters" someone shouted.
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the

collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was
not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned.
Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. THE MAN WHO
TOOK THE SON GETS EVERY THING!"

Message:

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is:
"The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the

Son of God does not have life."

1 John 5:12

The Storm
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's Pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the
pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest Minister who was in
the service that evening. In the introduction, the Pastor told the congregation that the guest Minister
was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the
church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, the elderly
gentleman stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, and his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast," he began. "...when a fast
storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, even though the father
was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean
as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first
time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued
with his story...

"Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy
would he throw the end of the life line? He had only seconds to make the decision. The father knew that
his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could
not be matched by the torrent of waves.

As the father yelled out 'I Love You, Son!' he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the
father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells
into the black night. His body was never recovered," the old man said sadly.

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words
to come out of the old Minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the
thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to
save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us? Our Heavenly
Father sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to
rescue you and take hold of the life line He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The Pastor again
walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one
responded to the appeal. But, within moments after the service ended, the two boys were at the old
man's side.

"That was a nice story," politely stated one of the boys, "but, I don't think it was very realistic for a
father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other would become a Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. As a big smile
broadened his narrow face, he looked up again at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But,
I'm here today to tell you this story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up
His only Son for me. You see... I was that father, and your Pastor is my son's friend."

“Love grows by giving.

The love we give away is the only love we keep.
The only way to retain love is to give it away.”

Elbert Hubbard

Dreams

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we
didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a

smile that that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed
and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have

a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be

taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting

one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and share a chocolate milkshake. We became
instant friends. Every day, for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I
was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with
me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she
went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other
students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she
taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared
speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned
into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is
killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow
old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving
success. "You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to

have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many

people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie
in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-
seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty- eight. Anybody can
grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the
opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not
do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the
lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had
begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who
taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

The future belongs to those who believe

In the beauty of their dreams

-Eleanor Roosevelt

The Empty Egg

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade,
seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would
squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a
spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated
his teacher.

One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forresters entered
the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to
be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his
age and that of the other students."

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no
school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this
school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow
outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the
Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She
had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to
read and write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are
nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with
Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day,
he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students
snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please
take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of
Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large
plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with
something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He listened intently;
his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had
said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call
his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to
come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a
vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large
wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the
eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said.
"When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved
her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which
looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful
butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine."
Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from
the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed

Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she
thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone
his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for
another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered,
Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus'
tomb was empty, too."

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?"
"Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school

yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted away completely.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see
19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

God's Hands

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski
concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle
to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and
eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the

mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the
mother saw her little boy was sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and
whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his
right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the
old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative
experience. The audience was so mesmerized they couldn't recall what else the great master played.
Only the classic "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our
best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's
work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can
hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Message:

Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there

helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

10

God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And

He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great
things. Life is more accurately measured by the lives you
touch than the things you acquire.

God's Perfection

-Rabbi Paysach Krohn

In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning disabled children. Some children remain
in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be mainstreamed into conventional schools.

At a Chush fundraising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a

speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son, Shay?
Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children
do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's

anguish and stilled by the piercing query.

"I believe," the father answered, "that God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he
seeks is in the way people react to this child."

He then told the following story about his son Shay:

One afternoon, Shay and his father walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing
baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?"

Shay's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their
team. But Shay's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable
sense of belonging.
Shay's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked
around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said
"We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll
try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay's father was ecstatic as Shay smiled broadly. Shay was told to put on a glove and go out to play
short center field. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind
by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again and now with two outs and the
bases loaded with the potential winning run on base.

11

Shay was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shay bat at

this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprising, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shay didn't
even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shay stepped up to the plate,
the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. One of Shay's teammates came up to Shay
and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a
few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay and his teammate
swung at the ball and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft
grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that
would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field,
far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!"

Never in his life had Shay run to the first base. He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled.
By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the
second baseman who would tag out Shay, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what
the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second! run to second!" Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of
him deliriously circled the bases towards home.

As Shay reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third
base and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him
screaming, "Shay run home!"

Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the
hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,

"those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."

12

You can give without loving,

but you cannot love without giving.

-Amy Carmichael

Million Dollar Lesson

Petey Parker

A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational
speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It
cost me a $12 taxi ride.

I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan
included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up.

The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he
closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal
next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would
enjoy.

Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I was
receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a
story to tell."

"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never
be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be.

I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have
done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and... wham! I became a cab
driver.

One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my
passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer's expectations! I like both
the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on 'average'"

Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the traveling

folk's friend!

13

An Interview with

God
I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.

"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.

"If you have time," I said.

GOD smiled. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in

mind for me?"

"What surprises you the most about humankind?"

GOD answered...

"That they get bored with childhood that they rush to grow up, and

then long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their

money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the

present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they

had never lived."

GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons

you want your children to learn?"

GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All

they can do is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."
"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take
many years to heal them."

14
Your Future Starts Today .
PARAG NESARIKAR
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her
shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that
towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands
naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and
leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.
When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes
me?'
Moral of the story
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your
shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable
exposure.
SINCERLY
"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is

one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply

do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it

differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but

they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"
GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here...ALWAYS."

15

A Prayer
Gracious God, You have blessed me with many gifts and

talents.

Grant me the wisdom to know how to best use them for the glory of Your Name. Jesus calls, come
follow Me. I want to follow Him and be faithful to my call. Help me to see in myself what you see, and
give me the courage to follow wherever You may lead. Bless the Church with generous hearts, eager to
serve Your people and to spread Your Word.

Amen. Mother’s Love

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed
her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read
it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: P5.00

For cleaning up my room this week: P1.00
For going to the store for you: P1.00
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: P1.00
Taking out the garbage: P1.00
For getting a good report card: P5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: P2.00
Total owed: P16.00

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her
mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing

inside me: No Charge

For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and

prayed for you: No Charge

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused

through the years: No Charge

For all the nights that were filled with dread and for the

worries I knew were ahead: No Charge

For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:

No Charge

Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No Charge.
When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were

big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said,

16

Gilbert went to his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled
brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he
stood, smile on his face and announced, 'Okay, I am ready."

As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp.
Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp
with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy's car.
Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud "Thank You" as the crowd roared in approval.

The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, "So you
prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?" To which my young son answered, "Oh, no sir. That wouldn't be fair to ask
God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I wouldn't cry when I lost."

Message:

Children seem to have wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn't ask God to win the race, he didn't ask God
to fix the outcome. Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the
other cars he didn't cry out to God, "No fair, they had a father's help!" No, Gilbert went to his Heavenly
Father for strength.

Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or
too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to
get us through the struggle.

Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would
indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply
the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the
crowd that he wasn't there without a "dad", but he also went away a winner that night, with his Father
at his side.

May we all learn to pray this way.

18

I can do everything through Him who gives me

strength.

-Philippians 4:13

Pick-up in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama
highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a
ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her -
generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance
and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him
and drove away.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was
delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the
highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God
bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

19

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is

essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine De Saint-Exupery (in The Little Prince)

Positive Thinking

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive
to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would
be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from
restaurant to restaurant.

The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an
employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of
the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You
can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and
say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can
choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can
choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side
of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut
away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how
people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your
choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business.
We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant
business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers.
While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The
robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma
center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with
fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how

he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my

20

scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery
took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,"
Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I
could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were
great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the
expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead
man.' I knew I needed to take action."

“What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry.
"She asked if I was allergic to anything. ’Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they
waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am
choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his

amazing attitude.

21

Every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

A Christmas Reunion

Pastor Rob Reid

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry to reopen a church in suburban
Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was
very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their
first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on December 18th they were
ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19th a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm -
hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank
when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off
the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the
Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea
market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory
colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the
center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to
the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to
catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45
minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc.,
to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it
covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was

like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG
were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this
tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

22

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman
explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis
came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured,
sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the
tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home,
which was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and
many said that they would return.
One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the
tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they
lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor
how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her,
but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in
between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and
to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb
the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest
Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

23

A Christmas Story

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their
father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had
never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel
driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds.

He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that he had decided to leave, there would be
no more beatings, but no food either. If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana, at that
time, I certainly knew nothing about it.

I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress. I loaded
them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store
and restaurant in our small town. No luck.

The kids stayed, crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whomever would
listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job.

Still No Luck.

The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had
been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place
and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids.

She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an
hour and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for
people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her
pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we
made a deal.
That night, when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all

thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel.

When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip
money-fully half of what I averaged every night.

As the weeks went by, heating bills added another strain to my meager

wage.

24

The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them
with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I
dragged-wagged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat.

New tires!

There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had angels taken up residence in
Indiana? I wondered. I made a deal with the owner of the local service station. In exchange for his
mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor
than it did for him to do the tires. I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough.

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red
paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would
be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches
on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the truckers,
Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at
the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked
through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up.

When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning I hurried to the car. I was
hoping the kids wouldn't wake up before I managed to get home and get the presents from the
basement and place them under the tree. (We had cut down a small cedar tree by the side of the road
down by the dump.) It was still dark and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some dark
shadows in the car-or was that just a trick of the night?

Something certainly looked different, but it was hard to tell what. When I reached he car I peered warily
into one of the side windows. Then my jaw dropped in amazement. My old battered Chevy was filled full
to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver's side door, scrambled inside
and kneeled in the front facing the back seat.
Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I
looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the
other boxes: There were candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries.

25

There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and
Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items.
And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my
life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that
precious morning.

Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all

hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.

Father, I ask you to bless my friends and family members. Lord,

show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit,
I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.
Where there is pain, give them Your peace & mercy.
Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in
Your ability to work through them.
Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them
understanding, patience, & strength as they learn submission to
Your leading.
Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by
revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater
intimacy with You.
Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your
courage.
Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold
over their lives.
Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up
leaders, and friends to support, and encourage them. Give each
of them discernment to recognize the demonic forces around
them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat
it. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.

Amen