We treat life differently. Some are thankful about it, but some would rather throw it away. But one thing is for sure, life must not be dwelt in the past nor be stuck too far in the future, it is best enjoyed today and treat it as a gift, that's the reason that it is called 'Present'.
Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still. -- Lou Erickso
Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. -- Thomas L. Holdcroft
We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. -- Winston Churchill
Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies. -- Ann Landers
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.-- Buddha
Life is like riding a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you plan to stop peddling.-- Claude Pepper
It is not length of life, but depth of life. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway. -- Steven Coallier
Life isn't worth living unless you're willing to take some big chances and go for broke.-- Eliot Wiggington
Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting. -- Karl Wallenda
On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him. -- Buddha
In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed. -- Sid Caesar
Life
Ang Batang Agila (The Eaglette)
May isang sisiw na agila. Maliit, mahina, at walang kakayahang mabuhay mag-isa. Siya ay isinilang sa isang mundong mapanganib. Ngunit sa tulong ng kanyang magulang at ng mga agilang mas matanda sa kanya, siya ay natuto ng maraming bagay. Sapagkat siya ay isang sisiw pa lang, hindi siya marunong kumuha ng kanyang sariling pagkain kaya ito ay binibigay sa kanya ng kanyang mga magulang.
Hindi rin siya marunong tumayo sa kanyang sariling mga paa, kaya siya ay nasa kanyang pugad lang maghapon. Higit sa lahat, hindi siya marunong lumipad na gaya ng mga matatandang agila. Nais niya rin sanang maabot ang tayog ng himpapawid at matanaw ang kagandahan ng daigdig. Nais niyang madama ang lamig ng hanging dadampi sa kanyang mga pakpak. Pero sa ngayon, isa pa lamang siyang sisiw. May nakilala siyang isang kuyang agila na nakatira malapit sa kanyang pugad. Ito’y masungit at seryoso sa kanyang mga ginagawa. Pero bilang kuya, may kagustuhan siyang magturo sa mga mas nakababatang agila kung paano lumipad. Ngunit, siya ay strikto at hindi pumapayag sa mga palusot ng mga batang agila. “Kung nais mong maabot ang langit, kailangang kang magsimula ngayon kahit sisiw ka pa lang!” Yan ang palaging sinasagot ni kuya sa kanyang mga istudyante.
Sunod na itinuro sa kanya ng kanyang gurong kuya ay kung paano ang manghuli ng kanyang makakain. Sinubukan muna niyang manghuli ng isang kuneho na tumatalon talon sa damuhan sa gilid ng bundok. Nang hindi niya ito mahuli sa kabila ng pagsunod sa mga bilin ng kanyang kuya, kanya itong muling nilapitan. “Kuya bakit hindi ko mahuli ang kuneho? Sinunod ko naman yung mga sinabi mo ah?”, tanong ng batang agila. “Walang problema sa mga paraan ng iyong paghuli sapagkat nakikita ko namang ginagawa mo lahat ng pinagawa ko sayo. Ang tanging problema lang ay kung ano ang hinuhuli mo!”, tugon ng kuyang agila. “Ilang araw pa lang ang nakakalipas ng matutunan mong maglakad at lumipad, tama? Ngayon na nag-aaral ka na manghuli ng makakain mo, ay kaagad mong sinunggaban ang isang kuneho. Marahil ay nais mong magpasikat sa akin, o marahil ay nais mong makakain ng marami kaagad. Pero wala kang mararating kung lahat ng bagay ay iyong mamadaliin! Manghuli ka muna ng bubwit!”, dagdag ng gurong agila.
Dumating ang maraming araw, mas marami pang natutunan ang batang agila sa kanyang kuya. Mula sa paggawa ng sariling pugad, pagtukoy kung ang isang hayop ay maaaring kainin o hindi, pag alam ng panahon at iba pa. Pati pagpili ng babaeng maaaring mapangasawa, sa tamang edad ng pag-aasawa, at ano ang mga dapat paghandaan sa pag-aasawa. Marami nga talagang natutunan ang batang agila sa kanyang gurong kuya. Sila ay palaging nakikitang magkasama; sa paghahanap ng pagkain man o kahit as paglipad lang sa alapaap.
Di naglaon, namatay ang kuyang agila. Nabalitaan na lamang ito ng batang agila mula sa ibang agila. Ang sabi nila nakita nila ito noong gabi bago ito pumanaw na hinang hina na at umiiyak at para bang may sinasambit. Isa sa kanila ay nagsabi na para bang narinig niya na tinatawag niya ang pangalan ng batang agila. Pinuntahan ng batang agila ang pugad na iniwan ng kanyang kuya. Isa sa mga nakakatandang agila ang nagsabi, “Nakakaawang agila. Sa huling hininga niya ay hinahanap niya ang kanyang mahal na kaibigan. Ang tangi niyang kaibigan. Ang kanyang matalik na kaibigan. Pero sa huling hininga nito ay di man lang dinalaw o dalhan man lang ng nabubulok na bubwit. Kung sakali man na kilala mo yung kaibigan na tinutukoy niya, paki sabi mo naman sa kanya na sa huling hininga nito, siya ang nasa isip niya.”
Ngayon ang batang agila ay di na sisiw. Isa na siyang malakas at matalinong agila. Sa tulong ng kanyang kuya, natutunan niya ang maraming bagay. Ngunit isa ang kanyang di makakaila, sa haba ng panahon na sila ay magkasama, di man lang niya ito napasalamatan, kahit kailan. Hanggang sa ang kanyang gurong kuya ay namatay na lang.
Just as I Am
When I was in Bible College, our Music Instructor assigned us to study one hymn and teach it to our classmates the next week. I come across this hymn, and it has been my favorite ever since. I am so humbled to sing this for our Lord Jesus Christ. He loved us for what we are and even died to imply His everlasting love towards us.
The Story: Miss Charlotte Elliott was visiting some friends in the West End of London, and there met the eminent minister, César Malan. While seated at supper, the minister said he hoped that she was a Christian. She took offense at this, and replied that she would rather not discuss that question. Dr. Malan said that he was sorry if had offended her, that he always liked to speak a word for his Master, and that he hoped that the young lady would some day become a worker for Christ. When they met again at the home of a mutual friend, three weeks later, Miss Elliott told the minister that ever since he had spoken to her she had been trying to find her Saviour, and that she now wished him to tell her how to come to Christ. “Just come to him as you are,” Dr. Malan said. This she did, and went away rejoicing. Shortly afterward she wrote this hymn.
Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1835; first appeared in The Christian Remembrancer, whose editor Elliott became in 1836. The last verse is from Elliott’s Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted, 1836.
Music: Woodworth, William B. Bradbury, Mendelssohn Collection, or Third Book of Psalmody (New York: 1849)
Listen to it: Midi File
Narcolepsy
My is name Steve and I am 17 years old. My favorite subject is Political and Social Sciences. I look up to the leaders who have put so much to be able to fulfill the job they swore to do. They are noble heroes for me. One day, I am going to be like them.
I live in the Philippines, a country I love so deeply. A tourist will have the time of his life if he would go around this country. An 8GB memory card for a digicam will not be enough to capture all the beauty its islands have to offer. Add to that the fact that Filipinos are hospitable and friendly.
There is one thing that hinders this country from moving leaps and bounds in terms of economy. There could be more reason but selecting people to lead us is really flawed.
Because I want my first vote to be really meaningful, I scheduled a one on one interview to one of the more prominent person hinting to vie for public office 12 months before the election.
When I arrived to her office, Ms Betty Dumlao is in her casual attire. I was surprised because it was time for work and she is our incumbent mayor. I expected her to be in formal attire as I see with most political figures.
She offered iced tea and water, both in sealed pet bottles. I declined both. Then she signaled on one of her bodyguards who opened the door. We went into her car and drove away.
“Will you vie for another term in office this coming election?” was the first question I dared to ask.
“No. I am so sorry but I won’t run this coming election.” came the answer.
Dumbfounded, I almost screamed at her face “Why?!”
“Sit back. I’ll show you why.” She said.
The driver made a turn and stopped in the front of a school. It is a public school that admits and produces students of top caliber. Every parent in town wants their child be admitted there. Aside from the prestige they will be able to acquire, the education and training level in the school is unparalleled in town.
She started talking, “Five years ago, this school seriously lacks classrooms, teachers and facilities. When I won in the elections back then, this school became my priority. This is the school where I graduated from so I know first hand that this school can be the pride of our town.
"Surely, the townsfolk would still write your name in their ballots come election time. Why not run?"I allotted budget for new buildings and laboratories. I asked the superintendent to hire young and competent teachers. The fences surrounding this school were fixed. Faucets with potable water were built. I would say that I have covered almost everything that this school needs.
Now, we are reaping the results of the labor rendered for this institution. We are now recognized as one of the prime producers of competent students. Our students are now competing internationally and have won several awards. It is very fulfilling.”
She nodded at the driver and the car started moving again. It is moving very slowly this time as if the driver has planned his course and the speed to specific places. It is a scheduled trip and the mayor has planned everything we are doing right now.
“Before I was a mayor, I’m sure you remember” she said. “This street is an eye sore. Garbage is thrown here and there. Dogs are defecating and peeing everywhere. Lots of flies and bugs can be seen all over. Simply put, you wouldn’t want to be here.
With me at the helm, new garbage collection scheme was implemented. Landfill maintenance was owned by the local government to make sure that no negligence shall happen. Street cleaners are detailed on every corner of the town.”
Well, it’s true that I remember avoiding this street in the years before. I never really noticed the change in this place, not until now that I am told about it.
Thinking about it, it is now a pleasure to walk around town. Even in the wee hours of the night, I am not scared that I will be mugged by unscrupulous people. Aside from the cleanliness, the town streets are well lighted.
She saw me ogling at the street lights and she smiled pleasantly at me. “So you noticed it, too. You made me glad.
“Aside from those lights all around the town, police outposts are also placed especially in places where petty crimes have been rampant. Street cleaning and clearing is for crime prevention too. Since the streets are now unobstructed by garbage, police force can now respond quickly to calls.
That also goes for ambulances. People of this town are guaranteed 5 minutes arrival time from time of call. It’s safe to say that so far we are able to maintain this.
As a general result, crime rates drastically dropped and emergency medical needs have been attended to.”
The car halted outside the fence of the sports complex. This is my favorite hangout so she really does not need to say anything.
I remember it so well, as if it is just yesterday. As a kid addicted to basketball, I am always playing the game with my friends. There are times when we are looking for a place to play the game because the grown ups occupies the court near us.
We once went to this same sports complex, paid the entrance fee and checked out the basketball court with our hopes held high. We were so disappointed upon seeing the court. The floor is uneven, puddles of water are present and the hoops themselves are in awful situation.
That is just the basketball court. The tennis court, oval, soccer field and volleyball courts are all in equally awful state. The few people who utilize the complex are in high risk of getting injured due to the uneven flooring.
When I looked at the mayor, she was smiling at me. Maybe she was talking all the time I am lost in my thoughts. I am really not sure.
Before I know it, the car is already in motion once more. I heard somebody screaming followed by a shrill cry. I looked around to see the source of the sound.
It was an old lady watching a loved one being brought to the emergency room of the only public hospital in town. It was a pity sight.
“Deaths are unavoidable, are they?” the mayor asked.
“Yes” was my only answer.
The mayor began narrating, “Actually, there are cases where we can save a dying person. With the help of people in medical field, some lives are extended.
Sad to say, most public hospitals have been notorious for slow service, lack of modern facilities and incompetent staff. There are cases where a patient’s life has been saved but because of the said factors, they died. Our public hospital is not exempted from this reputation.
So what I did is hire new breed of staff. We hired those with urge to save lives, not just to earn something for living. We hired those with the will to serve any given day.
I allotted budget for new facilities that are vital in saving lives. I also gave budget for new ambulances so that in case the facilities in our hospital cannot save the patient, he can be transferred to a more modern hospital.
So far, our hospital showed vast improvements from years ago and I am so happy to have driven that change.”
I took the chance to talk and do what I am supposed to do.
Because of your projects, investors began considering our town as the heart of their operation. Beyond doubt, this town needs you, your loyalty and your service. Surely, the townsfolk would still write your name in their ballots come election time. Why not run?”
The mayor took a deep breath then smiled.
“That’s where you got it wrong. I am not needed in this town anymore. I have done what I swore to do. Actually, I am very happy that you implied to me that I did a good job.
What this town needs at this time is someone who would continue my projects and improve what I have finished.
It may be a selfish move on my part but it’s my way of saying I have been loyal to the town. I know there is someone out there who has ideas on how to improve this town further.”
I realized that the mayor is really a person to admire. Her desire to serve the town is so noble that she is ready to relinquish the post after she has done her work.
Before I realized it, we’re back at the city hall. We got off the car and went back to her office where a chalkboard is standing.
While I was busy admiring the mayor and her thoughts, she handed me a chalk and asked me to write on the board my ideas on how to further improve what she has already done.
I took the chalk then walked towards the chalkboard. I leaned my head on the chalkboard then thought hard. With my eyes closed and my head deep in thoughts, I can hear some people chuckling and jeering. And then I heard an elderly female voice call my name.
“Steve! Steve! You slept again while doing your board work! “ my Social Studies teacher yelled. “Go to the detention room and write ‘I shall never sleep in class again’ 500 times!”
Cat Years, The
I just realized that while children are dogs - loyal and affectionate - teen-agers are cats. It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.
You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings.
Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.
Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away.
Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that "...the dog is now a cat..."a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.
One day, your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you." Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again.
Are You a Bucket-Filler or a Dipper?
You have heard of the cup that overflowed. This is a story of a bucket that is like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket. Everyone has one. It determines how we feel about ourselves, about others, and how we get along with people. Have you ever experienced a series of very favorable things which made you want to be good to people for a week? At that time, your bucket was full.
A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that happen. When a person speaks to you, recognizing you as a human being, your bucket is filled a little. Even more if he calls you by name, especially if it is the name you like to be called. If he compliments you on your dress or on a job well done, the level in your bucket goes up still higher. There must be a million ways to raise the level in another's bucket. Writing a friendly letter, remembering something that is special to him, knowing the names of his children, expressing sympathy for his loss, giving him a hand when his work is heavy, taking time for conversation, or, perhaps more important, listing to him.
"When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express warmth and friendliness to people."When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express warmth and friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a theory about a bucket and a dipper. Other people have dippers and they can get their dippers in your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million ways.
Lets say I am at a dinner and inadvertently upset a glass of thick, sticky chocolate milk that spills over the table cloth, on a lady's skirt, down onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes" across the table says, "You upset that glass of chocolate milk." I made a mistake, I know I did, and then he told me about it! He got his dipper in my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a mistake, feels terrible about it, only to have someone tell him about the known mistake ("Red pencil" mentality!)
Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied ? emptied many times because people don't really think about what are doing. When a person's bucket is emptied, he is very different than when it is full. You say to a person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty tie you have," and he may reply in a very irritated, defensive manner.
Although there is a limit to such an analogy, there are people who seem to have holes in their buckets. When a person has a hole in his bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to get his dipper in their buckets. This is when he really needs somebody to pour it in his bucket because he keeps losing.
"The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both."The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both. The unyielding secret of the bucket and the dipper is that when you fill another's bucket it does not take anything out of your own bucket. The level in our own bucket gets higher when we fill another's, and, on the other hand, when we dip into another's bucket we do not fill our own ... we lose a little.
For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling the bucket of another and consequently do not experience the fun, joy, happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction connected with making another person happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy are that people think it sounds "fakey," or the other person will be suspicious of the motive, or it is "brown-nosing."
Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch someone's life in order to fill their bucket.
Fullness of Time, The
Has there been a time in your life when you felt so empty you thought God had forgotten you existed? You wondered if He forgot where you lived. And if God were waiting in the shadows of your life you wished He would come out into the light so you could see Him. You just wanted to know He remembered you and your pain…your ache…your empty heart.
"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son to redeem us.
Galatians 4:4-5"In chapter 5 of the book of Mark in the New Testament, a story is told about a wealthy ruler of the synagogue named Jairus. He came to Jesus because his precious little daughter, Tabitha, was ill and he hoped the touch of Jesus would heal his child. As we follow the story, a multitude surrounded Jesus including a woman who had been sick for twelve years. This throng stopped Jesus. They delayed Him. He didn't get to Jairus' home as fast as He could have, and finally when the crowd began to move, someone from Jairus' house came and said, "Don't bother Jesus anymore. It's no use. Your daughter has died. Jesus waited too long to get to your home."
Now it's Jesus' turn to speak and He said, "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5: 36, K.J.V.).
However, my answer to the question is, "No." Jesus' delay did not change the result for Jairus' daughter - for she was not only healed, she was raised from the dead. In this case, from Jairus' own words we know all he was hoping for was that his daughter would get well. I doubt he ever imagined that if she died, Jesus could and would raise her from the dead. In the end, what he had hoped for and what Jesus did for him was exceedingly, abundantly above all Jairus asked for or could even think would happen.
Please note - Jesus' lingering along the way to heal another person, as well as Jesus' delay in getting to the home of Jairus, didn't decrease the miracle in Jairus' home - it increased it!!
Waiting didn't mean Jesus was less interested. Delay didn't mean Jesus didn't care. Lingering didn't mean He was too busy with someone else's problems. Waiting was part of Jesus' plan to bring complete joy…complete happiness...and complete fullness to Jairus' home.
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31"
In Isaiah 40: 31 there is one of my favorite promises in all of Scripture. This verse provides great encouragement to all of us who wait in our lives for "God's fullness of time," for that right moment, when God will fill us to overflowing for His glory.
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Dorothy Valcàrcel is a devotional writer of Transformation Garden, and the author of the book, 'When A Woman Meets Jesus.'
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Positive Thinker, The
Norman Vincent Peale, the father of positive thinking, still inspires us today. Below are helpful tips from Peale to keep you thinking positively:
“When you wholeheartedly adopt a with-all-your-heart attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things.”
“Go forward confidently, energetically attacking problems, expecting favorable outcomes.”
“When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.”
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
“If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up.”
“The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.”
A Different Kind of Christian
Today is Sunday, don't forget to go to Church and attend your Sunday Service, pray and read your Bible too! Since it is a Sunday I chose this message for us! God bless you all! =)
A worldchanger is someone who is committed to do just that, change the world. A worldchanger is not someone who blends in. A worldchanger sticks out!
A Worldchanger stands up ready to make a difference. A worldchanger goes beyond the usual expectations of Christianity. A worldchanger finds the most intense demands that Jesus places on Christians and doesn't shy away but goes after then passionately and does whatever it takes to get the job done!
She is not just doing it because her parents make her or because the youth pastor bribes her. A worldchanger has been radically, completely, and totally changed by a relationship with God!
Christianity is not some boring thing that a person halfheartedly commits to just because they have been in church their whole lives. You are not hanging on to your parents Christianity.
"Worldchangers are ...serious about learning the word of God... and aims to be ...more and more like Jesus..."A worldchanger had found Jesus for them-- not just for mom and dad or just for the pastor. And because Jesus died for them, they are ready to give their lives for him. Christianity. is not just lip service.
Worldchangers have a fervor to seek God with all of their hearts, and to do everything they can to let the world know that God is real and that he is alive! Worldchangers are not stuck in a bunch of boring rules and regulations, but they have the fire of the living God burning inside them! And they just can't keep it inside of them.
Worldchangers are serious about learning the word of God and then taking that word and applying it to their lives. Worldchangers are constantly changing and becoming more and more like Jesus.
Worldchangers develop a vision for their community and do everything they can to take the living Christ to a lost and dying world!
Worldchangers are sick and tired of a watered down, namby-pamby Christianity.! They want the real thing and don't care how hard it hits them or what parts of their lives they have to change.
They are sick and tired of the attitude that lukewarm Christians bring into the church, and they are ready to do something about it! They are especially ready to attack attitudes in their own lives!
A Worldchanger loves the Lord with all of his/her heart, soul, mind, and strength and loves his neighbor as himself. Write this scripture down. Carry it with you! Begin to pray over what you have just learned about a worldchanger.
Now I Sit Me Down
This poem is written by a kid somewhere in Boston. I think he has this strange idea of the government banning the name of God being mentioned in school or even the possession of the Holy Bible or praying along the hallway. This might sound naive at first, but as we look to our society today, this in fact is not far from happening any time from now. Where are you going to stand?
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule.
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites
It violates the Bill of Rights.
Anytime my head I bow
Becomes a federal matter now.
The law is specific; the law is precise.
Praying out loud is no longer nice.
Praying aloud in a public hall
Upsets those who believe in nothing at all.
In silence alone we can meditate
and if God should get the credit--great!
They are bringing their guns,
I don't dare bring my Bible,
To do so might make me liable.
So, now Oh Lord, this plea I make;
Should I be shot in school, My soul please take.
1 Corinthians 13 for Mothers
Here is a version of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 for mothers out there. I really enjoyed reading this and I do strongly agree with it.
Optimist and the Pessimist, The
There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist. The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.
He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins" personalities. "On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure." The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.
When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, "I don't like the color of this computer . . I'll bet this calculator will break . . . I don't like the game . . . I know someone who's got a bigger toy car than this . . ."
Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. "You can't fool me! Where there's this much manure, there's gotta be a pony!"
I could do without hearing for a year
i still want to see beauty around me, still want to smell fragrance and aroma, still want to taste the food that i'm going to eat, and still want to feel the touch of affection, but hear the nagging of incompetent people i couldn't bear! =)
Modern Philosophies
Care to laugh for a while? Here are some humorous philosophies to think about.
Boy Under the Tree, The
In the summer recess between freshman and sophomore years in college, I was invited to be an instructor at a high school leadership camp hosted by a college in Michigan. I was already highly involved in most campus activities, and I jumped at the opportunity.
About an hour into the first day of camp, amid the frenzy of icebreakers and forced interactions, I first noticed the boy under the tree. He was small and skinny, and his obvious discomfort and shyness made him appear frail and fragile. Only 50 feet away, 200 eager campers were bumping bodies, playing, joking and meeting each other, but the boy under the tree seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was. The desperate loneliness he radiated almost stopped me from approaching him, but I remembered the instructions from the senior staff to stay alert for campers who might feel left out.
As I walked toward him I said, "Hi, my name is Kevin and I'm one of the counselors. It's nice to meet you. How are you?" In a shaky, sheepish voice he reluctantly answered, "Okay, I guess" I calmly asked him if he wanted to join the activities and meet some new people. He quietly replied, "No, this is not really my thing."
I could sense that he was in a new world, that this whole experience was foreign to him. But I somehow knew it wouldn't be right to push him, either. He didn't need a pep talk, he needed a friend. After several silent moments, my first interaction with the boy under the tree was over. At lunch the next day, I found myself leading camp songs at the top of my lungs for 200 of my new friends. The campers were eagerly participated. My gaze wandered over the mass of noise and movement and was caught by the image of the boy from under the tree, sitting alone, staring out the window. I nearly forgot the words to the song I was supposed to be leading. At my first opportunity, I tried again, with the same questions as before: "How are you doing? Are you okay?" To which he again replied, "Yeah, I'm alright. I just don't really get into this stuff." As I left the cafeteria, I too realized this was going to take more time and effort than I had thought -- if it was even possible to get through to him at all.
That evening at our nightly staff meeting, I made my concerns about him known. I explained to my fellow staff members my impression of him and asked them to pay special attention and spend time with him when they could. The days I spend at camp each year fly by faster than any others I have known. Thus, before I knew it, mid-week had dissolved into the final night of camp and I was chaperoning the "last dance." The students were doing all they could to savor every last moment with their new "best friends" -- friends they would probably never see again.
As I watched the campers share their parting moments, I suddenly saw what would be one of the most vivid memories of my life. The boy from under the tree, who stared blankly out the kitchen window, was now a shirtless dancing wonder. He owned the dance floor as he and two girls proceeded to cut up a rug. I watched as he shared meaningful, intimate time with people at whom he couldn't even look just days earlier. I couldn't believe it was him. In October of my sophomore year, a late-night phone call pulled me away from my chemistry book. A soft-spoken, unfamiliar voice asked politely, "Is Kevin there?"
"You're talking to him. Who's this?"
"This is Tom Johnson's mom. Do you remember Tommy from leadership camp?
The boy under the tree. How could I not remember? "Yes, I do," I said. "He's a very nice young man. How is he?"
An abnormally long pause followed, then Mrs. Johnson said, "My Tommy was walking home from school this week when he was hit by a car and killed." Shocked, I offered my condolences.
"I just wanted to call you," she said, "because Tommy mentioned you so many times. I wanted you to know that he went back to school this fall with confidence. He made new friends. His grades went up. And he even went out on a few dates. I just wanted to thank you for making a difference for Tom. The last few months were the best few months of his life."
In that instant, I realized how easy it is to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else. I tell this story as often as I can, and when I do, I urge others to look out for their own "boy under the tree."
Bridge, The
There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.
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 as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance thru the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto 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 bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength.
Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, 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 impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety.
But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed.
They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.
Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven 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? How does He feel when we speed along thru life without giving a thought to what was done for us thru Jesus Christ?
Bishop's Gift, The
Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left: the pastor and four others, all over 60 years old.
In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It occurred to the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save the church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for advice, the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."
The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the Bishop had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered the words of the Bishop. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.
As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. Within a few years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks to the Bishop's gift.
Ass and the Mule, The
A Muleteer set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and a Mule, both well laden. The Ass, as long as he traveled along the plain, carried his load with ease, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, felt his load to be more than he could bear. He entreated his companion to relieve him of a small portion, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request. The Ass shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in so wild a region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Ass in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Ass, after he had skinned him. The Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: "I am treated according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist the Ass a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together with his burden, himself as well."
Death of an Innocent
I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom,
So I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside, Mom,
The way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom,
Even though the others said I should.
I know I did the right thing, Mom,
I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom,
As everyone is driving out of sight.
As I got into my car, Mom,
I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me,
So responsible and sweet.
I started to drive away, Mom,
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me, Mom,
And hit me like a load.
As I lay there on the pavement, Mom,
I hear the policeman say,
"The other guy is drunk," Mom,
And now I'm the one who will pay.
I'm lying here dying, Mom....
I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom?
My life just burst like a balloon.
There is blood all around me, Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom,
I'll die in a short time.
I just wanted to tell you, Mom,
I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, Mom.
The others didn't think.
He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank
And I will die.
Why do people drink, Mom?
It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now.
Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, Mom,
And I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying
And all he can do is stare.
Tell my brother not to cry, Mom.
Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, Mom,
Put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.
Someone should have told him, Mom,
Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom,
I would still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, Mom.
I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom.
When I needed you,
you were always there.
I have one last question, Mom.
Before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive,
So why am I the one to die?
I Am Third
There was a boy who was very popular among others his age. He was an excellent leader in his school groups.
One of his friends visited him and saw a homemade plaque in his room with the words "I Am Third" on it. His friend asked him what it meant and he replied, "It is the motto I try to use in my life. It means "God is first, Others are second, and I am Third.'"
The driving force in our lives should be trying to please God. Secondly, we should take into consideration the needs and pleasures of others. With our own pleasures subordinated, we will truly be the humble servants of God.
