101 STORIES WITH

LIFE-CHANGING LESSONS

COMPILED BY DELBERT & SUSAN BAKER

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY
 101 STORIES WITH
LIFE-CHANGING LESSONS
 Produced 2008, Oakwood University Publishing Office, Huntsville, Alabama
Printed at the Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Maryland

This collection of stories was compiled by

Delbert W. Baker, Ph.D., President of Oakwood University
Susan M. Baker, D.Sc., Physical Therapist and Faculty at Oakwood University

All QuoteBook copies are complimentary and not for sale.

All texts are quoted from the King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise stated. Stories are credited to
the original author or source except where source information is unavailable.

Cover design, book design, and layout: Howard Bullard

Project assistant: Benjamin Baker
Copy editor: Bill Cleveland
Proofreaders: Jeannie Watkins, Shannan Malone
Typeface: Berkeley Oldstyle

This QuoteBook, Life Stories, is the tenth in the 101 Oakwood University
Graduate QuoteBook Series prepared annually for Oakwood University graduates.

Other QuoteBook titles include:

A Place Called Oakwood (2007 Special Edition)
The Universal Lesson Book (2006)
Powerful Traits for Christian Leaders (2005)
Healthy Habits (2004)
The Help-Yourself ListBook (2003)
The Coping Workbook (2002)
The Success Workbook (2001)
The Satisfaction of Service (2000)
Thoughts for the Journey (1999)

Each of the QuoteBooks can be found at the Oakwood University website:

www.oakwood.edu/goldmine/quotebook.

This QuoteBook was underwritten by

Adventist Risk Management
12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
301-680-6800
 DEDICATED
To all the progressive persons and entities
that supported and facilitated
Oakwood College becoming Oakwood University
from the inception of the vision
through the transition and planning that
culminated in the fulfillment of this historic transition.

Official Names of Oakwood

Oakwood Industrial Training School (1896)

Oakwood Manual Training School (1904)
Oakwood Junior College (1917)
Oakwood College (1943, unaccredited)
Oakwood College (1958, accredited)
Oakwood University (2008)
 LETTER TO GRADUATES
Dear Graduate and Reader,
A story is a great way to illustrate lessons for life. There is something ageless about a
good story. They are fun, memorable, and engaging. People love a story.
More specifically, uplifting stories cause us to examine a character or situation, think
about moral dilemmas or conflicts, and vicariously experience the consequences of choices
made. Brief stories, as in this series, often involve a single, simple, consistent action without
extraneous details or distracting circumstances. Such stories are a great way to nail down
successful principles for life.
That’s what this little volume in the Oakwood University QuoteBook Series is all about.
These stories are entertaining, enlightening, engaging, and educational. They are some of
our favorites. Each of these 101 stories has a quotation, scripture, and an opportunity for
you to make a personal application to your life. The 101 stories are categorized according to
ten (10) values or principles that are emphasized throughout the Bible and are vital to the
successful development of character. The Appendix contains additional helpful material.
This first QuoteBook since Oakwood has become a university is full of practical in-
sights that will motivate and encourage you as a life-long learner. We hope you enjoy it.
As we gathered and selected these stories, we kept in mind our vision statement that
encapsulates the Oakwood mission: Oakwood University graduates are leaders in service to
God and humanity. We challenge you wherever you go, always remember our Aim: Educa-
tion, Excellence, Eternity and our Motto: Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve.
Have a good life!

Blessings and success to you,

President and Mrs. Delbert W. Baker

 CONTENT

SECTION I. Divine Priority

1. Bicycling With Jesus ........................................................................ 4
2. Don’t Blame God ............................................................................. 6
3. Saint of the Gutters ......................................................................... 8
4. What Do You See? .......................................................................... 12
5. Climbing Kilimanjaro ................................................................. 16
6. Understanding Suffering ............................................................... 22
7. Jesus, the Bridge ............................................................................ 24
8. Grass on Your Path ...................................................................... 26
9. The End of the Story ........................................................................ 28
10. The Naked Truth ......................................................................... 30

SECTION II. Unconditional Love ........................................... 34

11. One Good Deed ...................................................................... 36
12. Request Granted! .................................................................... 38
13. The Promise ............................................................................ 40
14. The Whisper Test .................................................................... 44
15. A Dog Goes to Church ............................................................ 46
16. Dad, Is That You? .................................................................... 48
17. A Praying Mother .................................................................... 50
18. I Loved Those Boys ................................................................. 54
19. Wealth, Success, Love ............................................................. 56
20. A Kid’s Sermon ....................................................................... 58

SECTION III. Balanced Humility ............................................. 62

21. Dim the Lights ........................................................................ 64
22. Justified by Faith ..................................................................... 66
23. Blast Off! ................................................................................. 68
24. Your Point of View .................................................................. 70
25. I Like My Job! ......................................................................... 72
26. Dedicated to the Cause ........................................................... 76
27. How Wrong Can You Be? ........................................................ 78
28. Too Much Confidence ............................................................. 80
29. I’m the Best! ............................................................................ 82
30. Hard Hearted at Harvard ......................................................... 84

SECTION IV. Personal Integrity .............................................. 90

31. Crafty Thief ............................................................................ 92
32. It’s Not About the Bike ............................................................ 94
33. Facing a Samurai .................................................................... 96
34. Steely Resolve ......................................................................... 98
35. Run, Jesse, Run! .................................................................... 100
36. Upgraded .............................................................................. 104
37. Check the Rules .................................................................... 106
38. Showing Up .......................................................................... 108
39. Twisting Reality ..................................................................... 110
40. The Bluebird Story ................................................................ 112

SECTION V. Moral Purity ..................................................... 116

41. Safe Sex ................................................................................ 118
42. One Woman ......................................................................... 122
43. Keep Your Fork! .................................................................... 124
44. Tree Fungus Sin .................................................................... 126
45. Modern Samaritans? ............................................................. 128
46. The Stranger ......................................................................... 130
47. Carrot, Egg, or Coffee Bean? ................................................. 134
48. The Hidden Word ................................................................. 136
49. Free Nation, Free Citizens ..................................................... 138
50. Lieutenant Blandford and Ms. Maynell .................................. 140

SECTION VI. Generous Service ............................................. 144

51. The Lost Tract ....................................................................... 146
52. A Place Called Oakwood ....................................................... 150
53. Sharpen Your Axe! ................................................................ 152
54. Better Not Die Yet! ................................................................ 154
55. Gift in a Bible ........................................................................ 156
56. The Dynamite King ............................................................... 158
57. You Saved My Life ..................................................................160
58. Life Saver .............................................................................. 162
59. Modupe ................................................................................ 166
60. Almost a Hero ....................................................................... 170

SECTION VII. Life Consistency ........................................... 174

61. Enjoying Life ......................................................................... 176
62. Crickets Chirping ................................................................. 178
63. An Hour of Time? ................................................................. 180
64. A Living Sacrifice .................................................................. 182
65. One Bold Woman ................................................................. 184
66. Deadly Error ......................................................................... 188
67. 26 Armed Guards ................................................................. 190
68. You’re a Workaholic! ............................................................. 194
69. Your Perspective ................................................................... 196
70. Death in Christ ..................................................................... 198

SECTION VIII. Self-Improvement ........................................ 204

71. The Long, Short Trip ............................................................. 206
72. Shake It Off, Step Up ............................................................ 210
73. Think Big! ............................................................................. 212
74. It’s Too Difficult! .................................................................... 216
75. The Red Bandanna ................................................................ 218
76. Headed to Hampton ............................................................. 220
77. Lesson From a Broom ........................................................... 224
78. Keep at It ............................................................................. 226
79. Mount Everest Climb ............................................................ 228
80. Mediation Power ................................................................... 230

SECTION IX. Free Forgiveness .............................................. 234

81. The Boy and the Brick ........................................................... 236
82. Anyone Can Change ............................................................. 238
83. Free at Last! .......................................................................... 242
84. By Any Means Necessary ....................................................... 246
85. Story of the Bones ................................................................. 248
86. Falsely Accused ..................................................................... 250
87. Somebody’s Watching You .................................................... 254
88. Undaunted ............................................................................ 256
89. The Trip With Dad ................................................................ 258
90. Graceful Mercy ..................................................................... 260

SECTION X. Life Witness ..................................................... 264

91. Susan’s Story ......................................................................... 266
92. Who Saved Who? ................................................................. 270
93. Rosa’s Stand .......................................................................... 272
94. If I Had Sneezed ................................................................... 276
95. Gave Up Too Soon ................................................................ 280
96. Ready, Aim! ........................................................................... 282
97. William Foy’s Visions ............................................................ 284
98. Abortion? .............................................................................. 288
99. A Missed Message ................................................................ 290
100. No Time for Tears .............................................................. 292
101. $20 ..................................................................................... 296

APPENDIX ................................................................................ 299

A. Ten Popular Bible Stories ....................................................... 300
B. The Bible Story Finder ........................................................... 303
C. How to Effectively Tell a Bible Story ...................................... 315
D. One Sentence Stories ............................................................. 322
E. One Sentence Sermons .......................................................... 326
F. Values, Insights and Simple Life Lessons ................................ 328
G. Values and Life, Lessons and Stories ...................................... 336