The stories of the desert priests

During the early part of the Christian era, the monastery at Scete became a
center where many people gathered. After renouncing everything they had, they
went to live in the desert surrounding the monastery. Many of the teachings of
these men have been collected and published in numerous books.

The middle way

The monk Lucas was walking through a village accompanied by a disciple. An old
man asked the man from Scete:
- Holy man, how can I come closer to God?
- Enjoy yourself. Praise the Creator with your joy - was the reply.
The two went on their way. Just then, a young man came over.
- What must I do to come closer to God?
- Enjoy yourself less - said Lucas.
When the young man left, the disciple commented:
- It seems to me that you are not sure whether or not one should enjoy oneself.
- A spiritual journey is a bridge with no railings across an abyss - replied Lucas, - If
someone is too near the right hand side, I tell him 'left a bit!' If he approaches the
left side, I say 'right a bit!' The extremes veer us away from the Path.

The town on the far side

A hermit from the monastery of Scete went to Abbot Theodore:
- I know precisely the objective of life. I know what God asks of man, and I know
the best way of serving Him. Even so, I am incapable of doing everything I should in
order to serve the Lord.
Abbot Theodore remained silent for a time. Finally, he said:
- You know that there is a city on the far side of the ocean. But you haven't yet
found the ship, nor have you loaded your bags, nor crossed the sea. Why spend time
commenting on what it is like, or how one should walk through its streets?
"Knowing the objective of life, or recognizing the best way of serving the Lord is
not enough. Put into practice that which you think, and the way will be revealed all
by itself."

Behave like others

Abbot Pastor was walking with a monk from Scete when they were invited for a
meal. The host, honored by the holy men's presence, served only the finest dishes.
However, the monk was fasting; as soon as the food arrived, he took a pea and
chewed it slowly. He only ate that one pea, during the whole meal.
As they left, Abbot Pastor called him:
- Brother, when you pay a visit, do not render your holiness an offense. The next
time you are fasting, do not accept an invitation to dine.
The monk understood what Abbot Pastor said. From then on, whenever he was
with others, he behaved as they did.

Work in the field

A young man crossed the desert and finally came to the monastery of Scete. There,
he asked to hear one of the abbot's lectures - and was granted permission.
That afternoon, the abbot's discourse was about the importance of work in the field.
After the lecture, the young man said to one of the monks:
- That was amazing. I thought I would hear a fine sermon about virtues and sins,
and the abbot spoke only of tomatoes, irrigation and so forth. Where I come from,
all believe that God is merciful: all one must do is pray.
The monk smiled and replied:
- Here we believe that God has already done His part; now it is up to us to continue
the process.

Judging my neighbor
One of the monks of Scete committed a grave error, and the wisest hermit was
called upon to judge him.
The hermit refused, but they insisted so much that in the end he agreed to go. He
arrived carrying on his back a bucket with holes in it, out of which poured sand.
- I have come to judge my neighbor - said the hermit to the head of the convent. -
My sins are pouring out behind me, like the sand running from this bucket. But since
I don't look back, and pay no attention to my own sins, I was called upon to judge
my neighbor!
The monks called a halt to the punishment immediately.

The way to please the Lord

A novice went to Abbot Macarius seeking advice about the best way to please the
Lord.
- Go to the cemetery and insult the dead - said Macarius.
The brother did as he was told. The following day, he returned to Macarius.
- Did they respond? - asked the abbot.
The novice said no, they didn't.
- Then go to them and praise them.
The novice obeyed. That same afternoon, he returned to the abbot, who again
wished to know whether the dead had responded.
- No - said the novice.
- In order to please the Lord, behave as they do - said Macarius. - Pay no heed to
the insults of men, nor to their praise; in this way, you shall forge your own path.
The Origin of 8 Famous Phrases!

We use phrases, expressions, and proverbs on a daily basis when conversing with
each other. Whether you’re at home, hanging out with some friends, or at work,
chances are that you’ve uttered one of the phrases below more than once in your
life. But, do you ever stop to think about what these expressions really mean?
Where they come from? The answer to this is probably no, so let’s take a look at 8
common phrases and learn where there came from.

1. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

Houses used to have thatched roofs. These roofs had thick straw piled together to
form a ceiling, but there was no wood underneath.
So how did this phrase come about? Well, according to a popular theory, on cold
nights, animals such as cats, dogs, mice, and rats would climb onto these roofs in
order to have a warm place to sleep. Unfortunately, when it started to rain, the
thatched roofs got so slippery that cats and dogs would slip and fall off the roofs.
Therefore, when it rained heavily, it would literally rain cats and dogs (and whatever
other animals were on the roofs).

2. Mad as a Hatter

The average person will probably tell you that this famous expression comes from
Alice in Wonderland, but they’d be sorely mistaken. The Mad Hatter character isn’t
the reason you use this phrase when describing someone who has lost their mind.
The true origin goes back to the days when actual hatmakers used mercury to
construct their hats. The mercury poisoned the hatmakers and affected their
nervous systems. Mercury causes aggressive, heavy mood swings, and erratic
behavior and, as a result, “mad hatter’s disease” became the nickname for mercury
poisoning, and the expression has been popular ever since.

3. Cat Got Your Tongue?

This is often used when someone is silent or at a loss for words. Surprisingly though,
it has nothing to do with cats. In the English navy, punishments were handed out in
the form of a flogging, which was carried out with a whip known as a cat-o’-nine-
tails.
This was a formidable weapon, and the pain from being flogged by it was so bad
that it caused its victims to go mute. They would often be afraid to speak and would
often remain mute for a long time after a flogging.
Drunken navy sailors would then walk around shouting, “Cat got your tongue?” as a
way of taunting the victims. So, next time you’re rendered speechless because
someone made a really good point, remember that it could be a lot worse.

4. Bring Home the Bacon

There are a number of theories as to where this phrase comes from, but the two
most popular include pigs.
According to one theory, this phrase comes from winners at state fairs bringing
home the greased pigs they caught in competitions. However, the more popular
theory is that highly successful men back in the day would buy pork, cook some
bacon, and then hang it on their walls when they had guests over. This showed
everyone how successful the men were. Walking into a man’s house and seeing
bacon hanging on the wall meant that he was to be respected. In this particular
case, bringing home the bacon was the ultimate sign of power and class.

5. Eat Crow

Usually, we have to “eat crow” when we’ve been proven wrong after taking a strong
stance on something.
The expression originates from where you’d expect. Crow meat tastes bad and is
hard to swallow. The simple connection to this term can start and end here, but
there’s an even more interesting origin story.
Back in 1812, an American accidentally went hunting across British enemy lines. The
US soldier was caught shooting and killing a crow by a British soldier. As
punishment, the British soldier, after praising the American for his accurate
shooting, tricked him into giving up his gun.
Now armed, the Brit pointed the gun at the American and forced him to take a bite
out of the crow. After the American complied, he was given back his gun. Angered,
the American then turned the gun on the British soldier and forced him to eat the
rest of the bird.

6. On Cloud Nine

It’s often thought that this is a reference to Heaven, but this is not true.
According to one known origin of this expression, one of the classifications of
clouds, defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, is known as “Cloud Nine.”
This is a type of fluffy, cumulonimbus type of cloud.
So, what makes this cloud so special? Well, this cloud is considered to be the most
attractive in the cloud community, which is what gives the phrase it’s positive
connotation.

7. Crocodile Tears
For those who may not know, this expression refers to someone who is faking crying
or pretending to be upset. When they do this, they are said to be shedding crocodile
tears.
Did this phrase come about because crocodiles never cry? Well, no, the origin is a lot
more interesting than that. In an ancient anecdote, Photios claimed that crocodiles
cry to strategically lure their prey closer to them. When the prey is close enough,
the crocodiles drop the act and go in for the kill.

8. Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater

This strange expression goes all the way back to the 1500s. Believe it or not, but
people in the 16th century only bathed once a year, and to make matters worse,
entire groups used to bathe in the same water.
The men would go first, then the women, and then the children and babies went
last. The water was so dirty by the time the babies got in, that they often came out
clouded. Sometimes, mothers had to make sure that the babies weren’t literally
thrown out with the dirty bathwater.
The phrase, “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” now means that you
should make sure you don’t throw out anything valuable while getting rid of
unnecessary things. Nothing is more valuable than a newborn baby, so the phrase
still rings true even to this day.

6 Stories That'll Change the Way You Perceive Life!

Short inspirational stories are great to read. The fantastic thing about them is that
they’re extremely straightforward to follow and digest, and there’s always a moral
to learn at the end of the story. Whether they’re true or not is another thing all
together, as many of them are legends from hundreds of years ago. However, the 6
short stories below are so inspirational and powerful that they will really get you
thinking.

1. The Group of Frogs

A group of frogs were travelling through the forest when two of them fell into a
deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs
that there was no hope left for them.
However, the two frogs ignored their comrades and proceeded to try to jump out of
the pit. However, despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were
still saying that they should just give up as they’d never make it out.
Eventually, one of the frogs took heed of what the others were saying and he gave
up, jumping even deeper to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as
he could. Once again, the group of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and to just
die.
He ignored them, and jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out,
the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?”
The frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that he thought they were
encouraging him the entire time.
Moral of the story: People’s words can have a huge effect on the lives of others.
Therefore, you should think about what you’re going to say before it comes out of
your mouth – it might just be the difference between life and death.

2. A Pound of Butter

Once, there was a farmer who regularly sold butter to a baker. One day, the baker
decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the exact amount that he asked
for. He found out that he wasn’t, so he took the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer if he uses any measure to weigh the butter. The farmer
replied, “Your Honor, I’m primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a
scale.”
The judge replied, “Then how do you weight the butter?”
The farmer replied; “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from
me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day, when the baker
brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If
anyone is to be blamed, it’s the baker.”
Moral of the story: In life, you get what you give. Don’t try to cheat others.

3. The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had his men place a boulder on a roadway. He then hid in
the bushes, and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way.
Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers passed by and simply walked
around it.
Many people blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did
anything about getting the stone removed.
One day, a peasant came along carrying vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder,
the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the way. After
much pushing and straining, he finally managed.
After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the
road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and note
from the King explain that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder
from the road.
Moral of the story: Every obstacle that we come across gives us an opportunity to
improve our circumstances, and while the lazy complain, others are creating
opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things
done.
4. The Butterfly

Once upon a time, a man found a butterfly that was starting to hatch from its
cocoon. He sat down and watched the butterfly for hours as it struggled to force
itself through a tiny hole. Then, it suddenly stopped making progress and looked like
it was stuck.
Therefore, the man decided to help the butterfly out. He took a pair of scissors and
cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although
it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man thought nothing of it, and he sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to
support the butterfly. However, that never happened. The butterfly spent the rest of
its life unable to fly, crawling around with small wings and a swollen body.
Despite the man’s kind heart, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and
the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small hole were God’s
way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings to prepare itself for
flying once it was free.
Moral of the story: Our struggles in life help to develop our strengths. Without
struggles, we never grow and get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle
challenges on our own, and not rely on help from others all the time.

5. The Blind Girl

There once was a blind woman who hated herself purely because she could not see.
The only person she loved was her boyfriend, as he was always there for her. She
said that if she could only see the world, then she would marry him.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her – now she could see everything,
including her boyfriend. Her loving boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the
world, will you marry me?”
The woman was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and
refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and wrote a short note to
her saying: “Just take care of my eyes, dear.”
Moral of the story: When our circumstances change, so does our mind. Some people
may not be able to see the way things were before, and might not be able to
appreciate them.

6. Box Full of Kisses

Some time ago, a man punished his young daughter for wasting a roll of gold
wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became angry when the child tried to
decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the girl brought the gift to her father on Christmas day and said, “This
is for you, daddy.”
The man became embarrassed by his overreaction a few days before, but his rage
continued when he saw that the box was empty. He yelled at her, “Don’t you know,
when you give someone a gift, there’s supposed to be something inside?”
The little girl looked up at her dad with tears in her eyes and cried; “Oh, daddy, it’s
not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, daddy.”
The father was devastated. He put his arms around his daughter, and begged for her
forgiveness.
A little while later, the girl died in an accident. Her father kept the gold box by his
bed for many years and, whenever he was feeling down, he would take out an
imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
Moral of the story: Love is the most precious gift in the world.

9 Celebrities Who Were Homeless Before Tasting The Fame!

As regular people who are not followed by paparazzi when on roads, we secretly
feel envious of all the luxuries that the celebs enjoy. Some of them keep showing up
in the list of the highest paid actors, some others are known to the world as
business tycoons. But, no matter how glorious their success story is today, once in
the past, they all have had tiffs with life.

Following is a list of some of the most popular celebrities around the world that
once lived the life of a homeless:

1. Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College because he did not want his parents to
spend on his expensive education, something that they could not afford well
already. And dropping out of college meant no dorm rooms. So he slept on the floor
of his friends’ dorms and returned Coke Bottles to manage food money. Every
Sunday night, he walked 7 miles to savour weekly good meals at a local Hare Krishna
Temple (ISKCON), which was located across the town.

2. Jim Carrey

His father’s sudden unemployment compelled Jim Carrey and his family to live out
of a van. After staying parked at different places throughout Canada, he eventually
shifted to her elder sister’s lawn and lived out of a tent.

However, there was a silver lining to his cloud as it was during his homelessness that
he is said to have discovered his knack for comedy.

3. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez’s mother was completely against her daughter’s desires of becoming
a dancer and instead, wanted her to go to college. The mother and daughter
relationship had soured to the point where it compelled the world’s heartthrob to
leave her home at age 18, and spend the nights sleeping on the couch of her dance
studio.

4. Sylvester Stallone

Enough has been said about the story of how Sylvester Stallone made Rocky a reality
but, did you also know about the brief period of homelessness that dawned upon
him after he was kicked out of his apartment?

He spent his sleeping hours in New York City Port Authority. His days changed for
good when Stallone came across a casting ad for a pornographic film titled, “The
Party at Kitty and Stud’s,” and the $200 that he made from doing the movie were
utilized in getting life back on track.

5. Charlie Chaplin

And he also had a brother to take care of.

6. Chris Gardner

Before taking Wall Street by storm, Chris Gardner found a home on the streets of
San Francisco where he lived with his son. During this testing phase, he was trying to
make it in the field of finance despite being a total stranger to the said area. He sure
had a job, but the meagre amount he made every month was not sufficient to afford
daycare for his son and food for two.

7. Daniel Craig

Can anyone even picture this highest paid James Bond till date, as a struggler who
once slept on park benches?

8. Halle Berry

The super hot and immensely talented Halle Berry is the first and till date, the only
woman to have won an Oscar in the leading role category. But was her journey from
a struggling actor to a historic winner so easy?

Adding to the list of failed marriages, rough relationships, and a suicide attempt is
the fact that during her early times as a struggling actor in New York City (sometime
in 1989), she stayed in a homeless shelter.
To an interview with Reader’s Digest, she said that her time spent as a homeless
made her strong enough to face any kind of disaster that may befall.

9. Hillary Swank

When her parents divorced, Hillary Swank was only 13. And this drastic change in
her family life compelled her and her mother to move to Los Angeles so that she
could go ahead and pursue her dream of becoming an actress. But since purse
strings were too tight to live off easily, they survived out of their car until enough
amount was arranged to move into an apartment.

There are many forms of struggles. For you, it might be in the form of having to
work late nights. For them, it rendered them homeless. But they all made it through,
and the world now bows before these amazing talents out of nothing but respect.