Inspirational Thoughts

[mom]

---

Hello people, I want to share this inspirational story with the thought that it might enlighten someone as I am. hehehehe....cheers!

The Wooden Bowl


I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden
Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year
from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son,
daughter-in-law, and four-year - old grandson. The old
ma n's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his
step faltered. The family ate together at the table.
But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing
sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon
onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled
on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the
mess.
'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating,
and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the
corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of
the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken
a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction,
sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp
admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son
playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the
child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly,
the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for
you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.
' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were
speechless. Then tears started to stream down their
cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must
be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and
gently led him back to the family table. For the
remainder of his days he ate every meal with the
family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk
spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what
happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and
it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by
the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the
elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree
lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with
your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from
your life.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same
thing as making a 'life..'

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second
chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to
throw something back I've learned that if you pursue
happiness, it will elude you But, if you focus on your
family, your friends, the needs of others, your work
and doing the very best you can, happiness will find
you

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an
open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have
to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and
touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm
hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

FRIENDSHIP CANDLE NOTICE AT THE END, THE DATE THE
CANDLE WAS STARTED.
GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS.
I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found
it believable -- angels have walked beside me all my
life--and they still do *********************
This is to you because you mean something to me, I
pray for your happiness. The Candle Of Love, Hope &
Friendship

This candle was lit on the
15th of September, 1998

Someone who loves you has helped keep it alive by
sending it to you.

[mom]

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 somebody bid for this painting? Who
will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice angrily. "We 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."

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 everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the 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.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER
BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT' S LOVE

[dulpeks]

Encouragement

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline

could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair. At first thought the man felt ashamed. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - that thought, and only that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with

that the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence-deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped

himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would

have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue. . . . You can interpret the story in any way you like. But one moral stands

out: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

[Hellblazer]

"You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. It's the honest man you should never trust, for you'll never know when he'll be dishonest." -Capt. Jack Sparrow

[bbabes20]

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward."

[dulpeks]

God's Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some
expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Author unknown

[mom]

As Mr. Smith was on his death bed, he attempted
to formulate a plan that would allow him to take
at least some of his considerable wealth with
him. He called for the three men he trusted most
his lawyer, his doctor, and his clergyman.

He told them, 'I'm going to give you each
$30,000 in cash before I die. At my funeral, I
want you to place the money in my coffin so that
I can try to take it with me.' All three agreed
to do this and were given the money.

At the funeral, each approached the coffin in
turn and placed an envelope inside. While riding
in the limousine to the cemetery, the clergyman
said 'I have to confess something to you fellows.
Brother Smith was a good churchman all his life,
and I know he would have wanted me to do this.
The church needed a new baptistery very badly,
and I took $10,000 of the money he gave me and
bought one. I only put $20,000 in the coffin.'

The physician then said, 'Well, since we're
confiding in one another, I might as well tell
you that I didn't put the full $30,000 in the
coffin either. Smith had a disease that could
have been diagnosed sooner if I had this very
new machine, but the machine cost $20,000 and
I couldn't afford it then. I used $20,000 of
the money to buy the machine so that I might
be able to save another patient. I know that
Smith would have wanted me to do that.'

The lawyer then said, 'I'm ashamed of both of
you. When I put my envelope into that coffin,
it held my personal check for the full $30,000.'

[Hellblazer]

"There is no religion higher than truth." -The Theosophical Society

[carbrill]

Effective immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any incovenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. I know, I already gave you the 10 Commandments. Keep them. But follow these guidelines, also.

1. Quit worrying. Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. Put it on the list. Something needs to be done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although MY to-do-list is long, I am after all...God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. Trust me. Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake , put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. Leave it alone. Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here. "Why do yout think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I gave you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. Talk to me. I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me- OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. Have faith. I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. Share. You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears for those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. Be patient. I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times. learn many trades, travel so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it take Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. Be kind. Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake, I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. Love yourself. As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only - to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget that!.


With all My heart,
I love YOU!
God




posted by: aimzweb, sept. 16, 2006

[carbrill]

na amaze jd ko rn sa atong Ginoo... Wow, i realy praised Him... He is very good... thank you Lord...