catholic

WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO EARN OUR LOVE, MERCY, GRACE & FORGIVENESS? FREELY WE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY, WE ARE TO GIVE....

//**"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark". Tagore **//

1. Be Fishers of Men.... You catch 'em, He'll Clean 'em.

2. A family altar can alter a family.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. Don't put a question mark where God put a full stop.

5. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

6. Exercise daily... Walk with the Lord!

7. Forbidden fruits create many jams.

8. Give God what's right, not what's left!

9. Give satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.

10. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

11. God grades on the cross, not the curve.

12. God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit"

over "religious nuts"!

13. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

14. Having truth decay? Brush up on your Bible!

15. He who angers you, controls you!

16. He who is good at making excuses, is seldom good for

anything else.

17. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!

18. Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

19. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.

20. Never give the devil a ride! He will always want to drive!

21. Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.

22. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

23. "Pray" is a four-letter word that you can say anywhere.

24. Prayer - Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!

25. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of

God will not protect you.

26. This Church is "Prayer Conditioned"!

27. To be almost saved is to be totally lost.

28. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning!

29. Watch your step carefully! Everyone else does!

30. We don't change the message, the message changes us.

31. Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say. 2) Not saying it.

32. Worry is the darkroom in which "negatives" are developed

33. The work will wait while you look at the rainbow, but the

rainbow won't wait while you do the work.

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY? This is one of the nicest e-mails I have ever seen !! I dreamed that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received. I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. "How is it that there is no work going on here? I asked." "So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments." "How does one acknowledge God's blessings? "I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world.If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy, and if you get this on your mobile, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness.. You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... Youare ahead of 700 million people in the world." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If your parents are still alive and still married.... you are very rare." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair......." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">"Ok," I said. "What now? How can I start?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">The Angel said, "If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.......... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">ATTN: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> Acknowledge Dept. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-top: 6px;">"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it."

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-top: 6px;">//<span style="background-image: url(">__ 😊 __ ////<span style="background-image: url(">__ 🙏 __ // //<span style="background-image: url(">__<span style="display: inline !important; left: -999999px; position: absolute;">😊 __ //__** ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER **__ So when....... There's work to do, deadlines to meet;  You've got no time to spare,  But as you hurry and scurry-  ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos, "Quality time" is rare. Do your best; let God do the rest- ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries Are more than you can bear. Slow down and take a breather- ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is; He wants to ease our cares, And He'll respond to all your needs A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER. **IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE** **OF A NEEDLE THAN A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE** **KINGDOM OF GOD.** **(MARK 10:25 )**

what Jesus was referring to in the top verse

was a person who loved their money more than they loved

their Heavenly Father. For you see in Jesus' time, just as

today, many people were very unscrupulous, and their

money came from ill-gotten gain!

The other thing people often do not understand is the

"Eye of the Needle." Also in Jesus' time all villages were

surrounded by a wall for protection from their enemies.

So each village had a main gate that was open only in the

daytime, and a small side gate for night entry. This small

gate was called the "needle," and was very small.

Now those with stolen goods would try to sneak them

into town at night through that small gate. One problem

they had was a camel could not walk through this small

gate with a full load on its back, so the load often had to

be removed. Then the poor camel would still have to walk

on its knees to enter through the gate. Not an easy task

to say the least, especially for the poor camel!

= __"Moments in Life"__ =

1. There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real! So cherish them while they are with you.

2. When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one, which has been opened for us.

3. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

4. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

5. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

6. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

7. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

8. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. So live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

9. Don't count the years-count the memories.......Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away! Amen. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: top;">__ MONTHI FEST - Sakkad Sangath Meluya - Nativity of our Lady __ Check this video to witness the Mangalorean culture of going to church and showering flowers on Mother Mary and this song in the background media type="youtube" key="_ciUF5ly-FI" width="420" height="315" =<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: top;">__ Vailankanni: The Lourdes Of The East ( Full Documentary Film) __ = media type="youtube" key="jP-jGUXwjf0" width="420" height="315"

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Documentary film about the apparitions and miracles of our Blessed Mother Mary in the small south Indian town known as Vailankanni ( or Vellanganni ). = =

=__<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">How To Have A Happy New Year: __= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">1. Wake Up

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Decide to have a good day.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice & be glad in it" - Psalm 118:24. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,"lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> 2. Dress Up

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart" - 1 Sam 16:7. 3. Shut Up

Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

"He who guards his lips guard his soul." - Proverbs 13:3. "Gossip betrays confidence avoid men who talk too much" - Proverbs 20:19. 4. Stand Up

For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good ..." - Galatians 6:9-10. 5. Look Up

To the Lord.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" - Philippians 4:13. 6. Reach Up

For something higher.

" . . . press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14 7. Lift Up

Your Prayers.

"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING" - Philippians 4:6 Wishing you God's choicest blessings this New Year & always!

=__THE BOOK OF PSALMS....__= =__God's Rosebud__= A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do,

he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry.

But because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...

"It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine." "The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so easily,

But in my hands they die." "If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?" "So I'll trust in God for leading

Each moment of my day.

I will look to God for guidance

In each step along the way." "The path that lies before me,

Only my Lord and Savior knows.

I'll trust God to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose."

Please share this poem with a friend

if you enjoyed being reminded

to let go.... and let God

unfold your life.

=__**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;">Take time to pray **__= I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work For bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, And jumped up off my knees. My Christian duty was now done My soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time To spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Christ to friends, They'd laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, That was my constant cry, No time to give to souls in need But at last the time, the time to die. I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life. God looked into his book and said "Your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down... But never found the time"

=__Thankful For The Thorns__=

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her crocks when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life, but took her child's?" "Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving? Do you want the beautiful, but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the 'Thanksgiving Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?" "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer, "Hi, Barbara... let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed, thorny roses - except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped. There were no flowers. "Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again.", she said, as she gently tapped her chest. Sandra stammered, "Uh, that lady just left with, uh... she left with no flowers!" "That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet." "Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra. "Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do, today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery." "That same year, I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel." "So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me. But when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?" It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others." Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement... twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator. "Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?" "No... I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny, here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh." "Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out. "I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first." It read:

My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant." Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns. 140926919614092691961409269196~

Author Unknown =__Our LIFE is a matter of CHOICES. You make the right choices and Life will never go wrong.__= In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river. This seems a safe place. Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above & lightning starts a forest fire.

She looks to her left & sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her.

To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do? She is in labour!

What will happen? Will the deer survive?

Will she give birth to a fawn? Will the fawn survive?

Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire?

Will she perish to the hunters'; arrow?

Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her?

She is constrained by the fire on the one side & the flowing river on the other & boxed in by her natural predators.

What does she do?

She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

The sequence of events that follows are:

- Lightning strikes & blinds the hunter.

- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer & strikes the hungry lion.

- It starts to rain heavily, & the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.

- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on αll sides with negative thoughts and possibilities.

Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us & overwhelm us.

Maybe we can learn from the deer.

The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simply to give birth to a baby. The rest was not in her hands & any action or reaction that changed her focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Ask yourself, Where is your focus? Where is your faith and hope?

In the midst of any storm, do keep it on God always.

He will never ever dissapoint you. NEVER.

Remember, He neither slumbers nor sleeps..

.

May Lord Bless Us All

=__ LIFE IS JUST A MOMENT __= A man died... When he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand. Dialog between God and Dead Man: God: Alright son, it’s time to go Man: So soon? I had a lot of plans... God: I am sorry but, it’s time to go Man: What do you have in that suitcase? God: Your belongings Man: My belongings? You mean my things... Clothes... money... God: Those things were never yours, they belong to the Earth Man: Is it my memories? God: No. They belong to Time Man: Is it my talent? God: No. They belong to Circumstance Man: Is it my friends and family? God: No son. They belong to the Path you travelled Man: Is it my wife and children? God: No. they belong to your Heart Man: Then it must be my body God: No No... It belongs to Dust Man: Then surely it must be my Soul! God: You are sadly mistaken son. Your Soul belongs to me. Man with tears in his eyes and full of fear took the suitcase from the God's hand and opened it... EMPTY!! With heartbroken and tears down his cheek he asks God... Man: I never owned anything? God: That’s Right. You never owned anything. Man: Then? What was mine? God: your MOMENTS. Every moment you lived was yours. Life is just a Moment.

LIVE IT.

LOVE IT.

ENJOY IT. =__**Our Destination**__= One Sunday morning, a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying sunshine and his coffee when a little ant caught his eye which was going from one side to the other side of the balcony carrying a big leaf several times more than its size. The man watched it for more than an hour. He saw that the ant faced many impediments during its journey, paused, took a diversion and then continued towards destination. At one point the tiny creature came across a crack in the floor. It paused for a little while, analyzed and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued its journey. The man was captivated by the cleverness of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures. The incident left the man in awe and forced him to contemplate over the miracle of Creation. It showed the greatness of the Creator. In front of his eyes there was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to analyze, contemplate, reason, explore, discover and overcome. Along with all these capabilities, the man also noticed that this tiny creature shared some human shortcomings. The man saw about an hour later the creature had reached its destination – a tiny hole in the floor which was entrance to its underground dwelling. And it was at this point that the ant’s shortcoming that it shared with the man was revealed. How could the ant carry into the tiny hole the large leaf that it had managed to carefully bring to the destination? It simply couldn’t! So the tiny creature, after all the painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home empty-handed. The ant had not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the end the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it. The creature had no option, but to leave it behind to reach its destination. The man learned a great lesson that day. Isn’t that the truth about our lives? We worry about our family, we worry about our job, we worry about how to earn more money, we worry about where we should live – 5 bedroom or 6 bedroom house, what kind of vehicle to buy – a Mercedes or BMW or a Porsche, what kind of dresses to wear, all sorts of things, only to abandon all these things when we reach our destination – The Grave. We don’t realize in our life’s journey that these are just burdens that we are carrying with utmost care and fear of losing them, only to find that at the end they are useless and we can’t take them with us.

=__**Drinking From My Saucer**__= I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now. But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow. And, as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. Haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough! But, I've got loving ones all around me, and that makes me rich enough. I thank GOD for his Blessings, and the Mercies HE 's bestowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, My faith wore somewhat thin. But, all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again. So GOD help me not to gripe, about the tough rows I have hoed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. If GOD gives me strength and courage, When the way grows steep and rough. I'll not ask for other blessings I'm already blessed enough. And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads. Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. =__BIBLE TAG! - (Describing The Bible in 50 Words!)__= God made Adam bit Noah arked Abraham split Joseph ruled Jacob fooled

Bush talked Moses balked Pharaoh plagued People walked Sea divided Tablets guided Promise landed Saul freaked David peeked Prophets warned Jesus born

God walked Love talked Anger crucified Hope died Love rose Spirit flamed Word spread God remained. media type="custom" key="25669410" __**My Son:**__ This is great. Take a moment to read it; it will make your day! The ending will surprise you. A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, fromPicasso 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 painting? ' 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 over 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 God Bless.
 * When Prayers go up, Blessings come down. Amen.**

=__The Blind dinner date__= I am sharing this wonderful experience, I recently had in Singapore. I was invited to one Friday evening event by one of MNC Vendor organization who had organized the event to raise funds for the visually handicapped people in a center for blind people.

As usual, since it was a Friday evening, I first thought to skip the event considering it could be a bit boring and rather spend the evening relaxing by some other means.

But being alone and sometimes finding it difficult to kill time, I thought to accept the invitation and registered on line for booking. Moreover it was free :) which was another motivation to go to the event. I was looking at the event to pass some time, meet few people and nothing else. When I went there, there were approx 40 people from various industries invited for that event. I found some Indians and naturally talked to them about how life is in Singapore etc etc. Initially we were shown a video about the visually handicapped center. What are their activities, how are they helping blind people in Singapore to lead a more fulfilling life, etc . It was a short 15 minute video and quite inspiring that how people from different walks of life spend time in helping these blind people without expecting anything in return. They shared the satisfaction and fulfilment they get by helping them. After the video, we all were gathered in a hall and were briefed about next event. The theme of the next event was "Dining in the Dark". And this is the event which turned out to be inspiring and worth sharing. What is meant was that we all 40+ people were going to have Dinner in a pitch Dark room !!!! The next 2 hours were completely planned, organized, directed and executed by three blind youths. One was a girl ( Leader ) and other two boys were assistant to her forming a team of three blind volunteers. The blind leader first gave us tips for dining (These were ACTUAL STANDARDS THE BLIND PEOPLE FOLLOW IN ORDER TO MAKE THERE LIFE EASIER)

1. When you sit at your table the things will be placed as follows :

at 3 o clock of your dish : You will find a spoon.

at 9 o clock : Fork;12 o clock : spoon. 2 o clock : Empty Glass Dish at the center with Paper napkin tucked at 6 o clock. 2. There will be two large Jugs circulated to you. The Jug with plain walls will have water and the Jug with curved wall will have orange juice. 3. When you get your Jug based on your choice you have to pour it in your glass. You have to dip your forefinger in the glass so that when you fill it and the liquid touches your finger, you have to stop pouring. She asked whether everyone has understood. All said yes but everyone was confused and trying to remember what she said and confirming with each other. Next 1 1/2 hours we spent were full of fun and learning. In completely pitch dark room where we could not see ANYTHING we were enjoying various delicious food without seeing it. We all 40 people were taken in groups in the dark hall. Each one was directed by blind person till he/she sits on a chair (We were finding it awkward because actually we are supposed to guide blind people to their destination and help them). We were Served full five course dinner by this team of three blind people-Welcome drinks, appetizers, starters, main course and desserts. The amazing thing was that the team of three blind people were serving exactly vegetarian dishes to vegetarian people who were sitting randomly in the room! While registering on line we were asked question to choose from "Vegetarian" or "Non vegetarian". I obviously chose Vegetarian, being one. We were so nicely hosted that we did not have to wait in between serves. As we were ending finishing one dish, we were served with next without any delays. After approx 1 and half hours of Dining in the dark, the leader asked whether everyone has finished eating. After confirmation she switched on the lights of the dining room. We left the Dining room with tears in our eyes. We realized how lucky we are and how we have been gifted with beautiful eyes to see the beautiful world. We realized how difficult lives of blind people are ( and other handicapped) without being able to see. We realized how uncomfortable we were for just two hours without being able to see anything and how they must be living their lives. We realized how unfortunate we are, that we do not value such simple things in life we have and cry (sometime louder, sometime within ourselves) and run after what we don't have... for whole of our lives without having time to adore for the things we have.

Be cheerful.

Adore whatever you have in life.

You may try for whatever you don’t have but never feel sad about it.

You need to experience it, something like I had experienced, to believe this philosophy of life.

LIVE LIFE THE WAY IT SHOULD BE LIVED

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND ENLIGHTENED DAY! =__**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue','Segoe UI',Helvetica,Arial,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">A Perfect Mistake **__= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> My mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was really upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses wedged between two blankets.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you, God, for not allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your life from a car accident. "Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I'm sure they'll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned."

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> I have to remember this in these times of trial with my own family.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> Look for the perfect mistakes! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">** Have a Blessed Day! ** = = =__Short Stories that make Us Think...__=

1. Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground. He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago.

2. Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try! You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product. Amateurs started Google and Apple. Professionals built the Titanic.

3. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.

4. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.

5. I am blind by birth. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- "Dad, can I play baseball?" He said "You'll never know until you try." When I was a teenager, I asked him, - "Dad Can I become a surgeon?". He replied "Son, you'll never know until you try." Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried!

6. Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”

7. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.

8. Today at 7 AM I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went in to work. At 3 PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start tomorrow.

9. Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.”

10. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

11. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.” I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.

12. Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

13. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better SOON'

= = =__The Suitcase__= = =

= = A man died, when he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand. = =

= = - God said: Alright son its time to go. = =

= = - surprised the man responded: Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans... = =

= = - I'm sorry but its time to go. = = - What do you have in that suitcase? the man asked. = =

= = - God answered: Your belongings. = =

= = - My belongings? you mean my things, my clothes, my money? = =

= = -God answered: Those things were not yours they belonged to the earth. = = - Is it my memories? the man asked. = =

= = -God answered: those never belonged to you they belonged to Time = = - Is it my talents? = =

= = -God answered: those were never yours they belonged to the circumstances. = = - Is it my friends and family? = =

= = -God answered: I'm sorry they were never yours they belonged to the path. = = - Is it my wife and son? = =

= = - God answered: They were never yours they belonged to your heart. = = - Is it my body? = =

= = - God answered: that was never yours it belonged to the dust. = = -Is it my soul? = =

= = God answered: No that is mine. = = Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from god and opened it just to find out the suitcase was empty. = =

= = - With a tear coming down his cheek the man said: I never had anything??? = =

= = -God answered: that is correct, every moment you lived were only yours. Life is just a moment. a moment that belongs to you. For this reason enjoy this time while you have it. Don't let anything that you think you own stop you from doing so. = =

= = -Live Now = =

= = -Live your life = =

= = - Don't forget to be happy, that is the only thing that matters. = =

= = - Material things and everything else that you fought for stay here. = =

= = -YOU CAN'T TAKE ANYTHING = = Share this reflection with anyone you love or appreciate. Enjoy every second you live. = =

= = = __**Why Go To Church?**__ = = A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now... In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! = = = = FOR THE LORD GIVES WISDOM; FROM HIS MOUTH COMES KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. (PROVERBS 2:6) = = The name's used in the Bible often have not only spiritual significance, they also are good descriptions of those people as well. So today we will look at some of the name's that were given to people probably by Divine design! = = ADAM meaning "man or mankind" = = EVE meaning "life" = = ABRAHAM meaning "father of the multitude" = = ISHMAEL meaning "God hears" = = ISAAC meaning "laughter" = = JOSEPH meaning "adding" = = NOAH meaning "resting place" = = MOSES meaning "drawn out of water" = = JOSHUA meaning "Yahweh delivered" = = SAMUEL meaning "God is exalted" = = DAVID meaning "beloved" = = SOLOMON has various meanings including "God is peace" "his replacement" = = EZRA meaning "Yahweh helps" = = ISAIAH meaning "Yahweh saves" = = JEREMIAH meaning "may Yahweh lift up" = = EZEKIEL meaning "God will strengthen" = = DANIEL meaning "God's judge" = = HOSEA meaning "salvation" = = JOEL meaning "Yahweh is God" = = JONAH meaning "dove" = = MICAH meaning "Who is like Yahweh" = = ZECHARIAH meaning "Yahweh remembered" = = MALACHI meaning "my messenger or my angel" = = JESUS CHRIST meaning "the Anointed One or Messiah" & "Yahweh is salvation" satan meaning "adversary" = = MATTHEW meaning "the gift of Yahweh" = = JOHN meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" = = PETER meaning "rock" = = JUDAS no specific meaning = = PONTIUS PILATE meaning "to fulfill or to accomplish" = = PAUL no specific meaning = = TIMOTHY meaning "honoring God" = = REVELATION meaning "unveiling or uncovering" = = = =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">__**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Living Bible **__ = =<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.5;">Now this is the living Bible... =

> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">His name is Tim. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tim starts down the aisle looking for a seat. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Tim gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">thick. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tim. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tim and worships with him so he won't be alone. > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Everyone chokes up with emotion... > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When the minister gains control, he says, > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.' > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">'Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!' > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I asked the Lord to bless you > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As I prayed for you today. > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To guide you and protect you > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As you go along your way. > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">His love is always with you, > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">His promises are true, > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">And when we give Him all our cares, > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You know He will see us through. > > > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Only if you feel led to, pass this to > <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">People you want God to Bless //Slow down and practice patience, as well as, take time to enjoy the simple things in life such as://

=__**TAKING TIME**__= Take time to think...It is the source of power.

Take time to play...It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read...It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to pray...It is the greatest power on Earth.

Take time to love and be loved...It is a God- given privilege.

Take time to be friendly...It is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh...It is the music of the soul.

Take time to give...It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to work...It is the price of success.

Take time to do charity...It is the key to Heaven. Author Unknown =__**HOLY ALPHABETS**__= Although things are not perfect

Because of trial or pain

Continue in thanksgiving

Do not begin to blame

Even when the times are hard

Fierce winds are bound to blow

God is forever able

Hold on to what you know

Imagine life without His love

Joy would cease to be

Keep thanking Him for all the things

Love imparts to thee

Move out of "Camp Complaining"

No weapon that is known

On earth can yield the power

Praise can do alone

Quit looking at the future

Redeem the time at hand

Start every day with worship

To "thank" is a command

Until we see Him coming

Victorious in the sky

We'll run the race with gratitude

X alting God most high

Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...

Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

PS: GOD LOVES YOU...PASS THE WORD ON TO MORE FRIENDS AND ASK THEM TO CONTINUE TELLING OTHERS THAT GOD LOVES THEM TOO. JUST THINK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT COULD BE REACHED OUT TO AND BLESSED WITH THESE WORDS.

=Malachi 3:3 says= =__'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'__=

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study..

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined..

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.. 'Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.'

media type="custom" key="24208198" =__Wash Day...__=

Now, this is really a cute one. . . .and I've not seen it before, either!! I wish you all a very blessed day...


 * Monday** WashDay

Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.


 * Tuesday** Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years

so that I may see the beauty in others.


 * Wednesday** Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.


 * Thursday** Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.


 * Friday** Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to wisely see the gift of eternal happiness you purchased for myself and all others in need of love.


 * Saturday** Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.


 * Sunday** The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.



If this message has inspired you in any way or you feel that it can brighten someone else's day, please share the link!

= = =__**A Nice story with a good moral.**__=

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes.

Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates,

So the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story: Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

True love is not loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly!!

= = =__**The weight of the holy Mass**__= You will never want to miss Mass after reading…

The following TRUE STORY was related to Sr. M. Veronica Murphy by an elderly nun who heard it from the lips of the late Reverend Father Stanislaus.

One day many years ago, in a little town in Luxembourg, a Captain of the Forest Guards was in deep conversation with the butcher when an elderly woman entered the shop. The butcher broke off the conversation to ask the old woman what she wanted. She had come to beg for a little meat but had no money.

The Captain was amused at the woman and the butcher. “Only a little meat, but how much are you going to give her?”, he wondered.

“I am sorry I have no money, but I’ll hear Mass for you”, the woman told the butcher. Both the butcher and the Captain were indifferent about religion, so they at once began to scoff at the old woman’s idea.

“All right then”, said the butcher. “You go and hear Mass for me and when you come back I’ll give you as much as the Mass is worth”. The woman left the shop and returned later. She approached the counter and the butcher said. “All right then we’ll see.”

He took a slip of paper and wrote on it ‘I heard a Mass for you.’

He placed the paper on the scales and a tiny bone on the other side, but nothing happened.

Next he placed a piece of meat instead of the bone, but still the paper proved heavier. Both men were beginning to feel ashamed of their mockery but continued their game. A large piece of meat was placed on the balance, but still the paper held its own. The butcher, exasperated, examined the scales but found they were alright.

“What do you want my good woman? Must I give you a whole leg of mutton?” At this he placed the leg of mutton on the balance, but the paper outweighed the meat. A larger piece of meat was put on, but again the weight remained on the side of the paper. This so impressed the butcher that he was converted and promised to give the woman her daily ration of meat. As for the Captain, he left the shop a changed man and became an ardent lover of daily Mass. Two of his sons became priests, one a Jesuit and the other a Father of the Sacred Heart.

Father Stanislaus finished the story by saying, “I am from the Religious of the Sacred Heart and the Captain was my father.”

From this incident the Captain became a daily Mass attendant and his children were trained to follow his example.

Later, when his sons became priests, he advised them to say Mass well every day and never miss the Sacrifice of the Mass through any fault of their own.

=__**How Great is our God!**__=

Our Creator and Redeemer. . . and do we THINK about it ??? God's accuracy may be

observed in the hatching of eggs.. . . ..

For example: -the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;

-those of the canary in 14 days;

-those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;

-The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;

-those of the mallard in 35 days;

-The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.

(Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!) God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant.

The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily. The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation! God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains. -Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.

-Each orange has an even number of segments.

-Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.

-Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.

-Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number. -The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather. -All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold all even numbers. God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day. Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed! The lives of each of you may be ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way for His glory, if you will only entrust Him with your life. If you try to regulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. Only the One Who made the brain and the heart can successfully guide them to a profitable end. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS AS FASCINATING AS I DID. May God Bless You In Ways You Never Even Dreamed.

media type="custom" key="24188236" __**NICE LITTLE STORIES**__

1. Once, all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all the People gathered but only one boy came with an umbrella... THAT'S FAITH

2. When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her... THAT'S TRUST

3.Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next Morning but still we set the alarms in our watch to wake up... THAT'S HOPE

4. We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future or having any certainty of uncertainties. ..

THAT'S CONFIDENCE

I was reading an article about Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk from India. He spoke at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swami had some interesting analysis about the sayings of Jesus Christ. I quote...

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is within you. Again he says, "Our father who art in Heaven." How do you reconcile the two sayings? In this way: He was talking to the uneducated masses when he said the latter, the masses who were uneducated in religion. It was necessary to speak to them in their own language. The masses want concrete ideas, something the senses can grasp.

A man may be the greatest philosopher in the world but a child in religion. When a man has developed a high state of spirituality, he can understand that the kingdom of heaven is within him. That is the real kingdom of the mind.

Thus we see that the apparent contradictions and perplexities in every religion mark but the different stages of growth. And as such we have no right to blame anyone for his religion. There are stages of growth in which forms and symbols are necessary; they are the language that the souls in that stage can understand.

~Swami Vivekananda ~ //'As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.'//

Talk given at Unity Hall, Hartford (Connecticut), USA, on March 8, 1895, as reported in "Hartford Times" (March 11, 1895). Complete Works, 1. 324. There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old shotgun and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out and kill something for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit and he shot at the rabbit and missed it.Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. As he went further, he saw a wild turkey in the tree and he had only one bullet, but a voice came to him and said "pray first, aim high and stay focused."

However,at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattle snake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattle snake.

Still,the voice said again to him, "I said 'pray, aim high and stay focused."

So,the man decided to listen to the voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.

And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat.

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that - " the past." Live every day one day at a time. And remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear.

Do not look to man for your blessings but look to the Lord. He can open doors for you that only He is able to do. Doors that you will not slip through but doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. Wait, and be still, be patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.

Truth is like oil; no matter how much water you pour on it, it will always float.

Your Mind is like a garden, your thoughts are the seeds.

You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds

"My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." (2 Cor 12:9) media type="custom" key="23886776"

__**I WILL DO MORE**__

I am only one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

And what I can do, I ought to do.

And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do.

I will do more than belong...I will participate.

I will do more than care...I will help.

I will do more than believe...I will practice.

I will do more than be fair...I will be kind.

I will do more than dream...I will work.

I will do more than teach...I will inspire.

I will do more than earn...I will enrich.

I will do more than give...I will serve.

I will do more than live...I will grow.

I will do more than talk...I will act.

I will be more than good...I will be good for something.

- Anonymous =__Life is full of turn .. never give up never return ... !__= THE PREGNANT DEER SCENARIO... In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth to a baby. It finds a remote grass field nearby a river and slowly goes there thinking it would be safe. As she moves slowly, she gets labour pain. At the same moment, dark clouds gather around that area and lightning starts a forest fire. Turning left, she sees a hunter who is aiming an arrow from a distance. As she tries to move towards right, she spots a hungry lion approaching towards her. STOCHASTIC PROBABILITY THEORY What can the pregnant deer do, as she is already under labor pain..?

What do you think will happen..?

Will the deer survive..?

Will it give birth to a fawn..?

Will the fawn survive..? OR Will everything be burnt by the forest fire...?

Can the deer go left..? No, the hunter's arrow is pointing at her.

Can she go right...? No, the hungry male lion is approaching her.

Can she move up..? No, there the forest is on fire.

Can she move down..? No, that is where the fierce river is. Answer: She does nothing. She just focuses on giving birth to a new LIFE.. The sequence of events that happens at that fraction of a second (moment) are as follows: In a spur of MOMENT, a lightning strikes and blinds the eyes of the hunter...!

At that MOMENT, he releases the arrow missing and zipping past the deer...!

At that MOMENT, the arrow hits and injures the lion badly...!

At that MOMENT, it starts to rain heavily and puts out the forest fire...!

At that next MOMENT, the deer gives birth to a healthy fawn...! In our life too, there are MOMENTS of CHOICE when we all have to deal with negative thoughts from all sides. Some thoughts are so powerful they overcome us and make us clueless. Anything can happen in a MOMENT in this life. If you are religious, superstitious, atheist, agnostic or whatever, you can attribute this MOMENT to divine intervention, faith, sudden luck, serendipity, coincidence, karma,

or a simple 'I just don't know'...! The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simply giving birth to a baby, because LIFE IS PRECIOUS...! In future, may you always be inspired to have a focused positive insight, oblivious of all imaginary, negative probabilities. "LIFE is Flowing Like a River

With Unexpected TURNS,

May be GOOD,

May be BAD...

Learn to enjoy Each Turn

because, these Turns... Never RETURN."

Fr. Paul Murray provides a compelling account of meetings with the saint of Calcutta. Sharing anecdotes and first-hand experiences, Fr. Murray offers a glimpse into why Mother Teresa could declare, in one of her letters, that if ever she were to "become a saint," she would surely be one of "darkness."

media type="custom" key="23603994" __<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #454545; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5;">** Have Faith...And you will be Blessed! ** __ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #454545; display: block; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> A priest was on a long flight home after a Church Conference. The first warning of approaching problems came when the 'Fasten Your Seat Belts' sign flashed on.

After a while a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please make sure your seat belt is fastened." The priest looked around the aircraft and saw that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve meals at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us." And then the storm broke.

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was tossed around like a cork in a celestial ocean. One moment it was lifted on terrific currents of air, the next it fell as if about to crash. As the priest looked around he could see that nearly all the passengers were alarmed - except one little girl! She sat calmly, feet tucked under her, looking at pictures in a book, oblivious of the turbulence around her. Sometimes she would close her eyes, and then she would go back to her book. The storm blew over. When the plane landed and the passengers were disembarking, the priest approached the little girl and asked her why she was not afraid like the other passengers. The little girl replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot and he's taking me home."

There are many storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic and other storms that can darken our skies and throw us into turmoil. Like the little girl, let us always remember: Our Father is the Pilot.

He is in control. He will take us Home.

Don't worry!

Stay away from Anger. It hurts only You and nobody else. If you are right, then there is no need to get angry, and if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry. Patience with family is love, Patience with others is respect, Patience with self is confidence and Patience with GOD is faith. Never think hard about the past, it brings tears. Don't think more about the future, it brings fear. Live this moment with a Smile, it brings cheer. Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, every problem comes to make us or break us, The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious. Search for a beautiful heart not a beautiful face. Beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful. Do you know why God created gaps between fingers? So that someone who is special to you comes and fills those gaps by holding your hand forever. Never forget this advice! Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Success keeps You Glowing, and But Only God keeps You Going! media type="custom" key="13977866" **View other links by** ** clicking here **

=__Why we read the Bible, even if we can't understand it?__=

An old farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bible. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand, I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before here turned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "SEE.... it is useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of God in our lives."

This is beautiful story - if inspired please forward, else keep it can't say when it might inspire you. =<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;">__<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">The Hail Mary of a Protestant __ = <span style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(A true story)

<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companions reciting the prayer "Hail Mary." He l <span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">iked it so much that he copied it, memorized it and would recite it every day. "Look, Mommy, what a beautiful prayer," he said to his mother one day. <span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">"Never again say it," answered the mother. "It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think Mary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do." From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily "Hail Mary" and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead.

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: "Mommy, I have found the 'Hail Mary' in the Bible which says: 'Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.' Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?"

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">On another occasion he found that beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that "the generations would call her blessed."

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the "Hail Mary" every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior.

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying:

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">"Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed and you are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation of the Christian religion."

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">So deep was the impression which the boy's talk had made that his mother many times cried out sorrowfully: "Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine will one day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!" And indeed, not very long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism and Catholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embraced it and became one of its most ardent apostles.

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebuked him and said indignantly: "You little know how much I love my children. Should any one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heart with a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!"

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Her anger and temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However, she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It so happened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hope of recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately, saying:

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">"My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Very well, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one 'Hail Mary' and promise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously study the Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicism is the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrifices may be."

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wished for her son's recovery, she accepted her brother's proposal and recited the "Hail Mary" together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After long preparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking her brother for being an apostle to her.

<span class="yiv0022379708text_exposed_show" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell. "Brethren," he went on and said, "the boy who became a Catholic and converted his sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He is the priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too, my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a day pass without saying the beautiful prayer, 'Hail Mary', and your Rosary. Ask her to enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church of Christ founded on the Rock (Peter) and 'against whom the gates of hell shall never prevail.'" =__**MASS ETIQUETTE**__= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">(As told by a priest to his congregation in Canada) We may as well heed this advice!

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Remember you have entered into the house of God for the purpose of prayer, adoration, reflection, or to celebrate a sacrament. Now is not the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">time to talk to your friends, but to talk to God. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">In order to help you enter into a sacred space we ask you to remember,

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">1. Turn off cell phones. Do not text messages or check your Facebook account from the pews or the back of the church. Leave your social media <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">devices in the car or at home. It’s time to focus on God. It’s distracting for others who are trying to pray. If you are waiting for an important <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">phone call, consider going to mass at another time. Cameras, likewise should be left in the car, unless you are coming for a tour of the church and <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">you have checked with the tour guide.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">2. Do not chew gum during mass or put it in your side cheek, to chew on it later. Spit it out before entering into a church. Did you know that you <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">are supposed to be prayerfully fasting for an hour before mass? There is a possibility that if you keep the gum in your mouth and resume chewing <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">after receiving the Eucharist, you may unintentionally spit out a bit of the body of Jesus. That would be sacrilegious.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">3. Dress with dignity for Mass. It seems that many women, many girls in this day and age have a need to always have a ‘sexy’ look. Mass is not a <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">cocktail party. Mass is not a hockey arena. Come dressed with decorum, an aura of dignity. Consider teaching your children the different types of <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">dress are important for different occasions. For everything there is a time. Please remember to dress modestly and ensure your daughters do too. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Bare shoulders and visible bra straps are not a good idea. They are highly distracting. Ladies should not dress in manly clothes that is, pants <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">inside the church. As you know in good old days ladies used to use veils inside the church. At least cover your head while receiving the Lord as <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">everywhere. M <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">other Mary seen with her head covered.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">4. Do not bring children’s activity bags, granola bars, cheerio’s, juice boxes, water bottles, toys including a child’s DS, play station, game boy, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">iPod <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">touch or similar types of amusements to church. Mass is only one hour long. Children would grow in virtue if their parents expected them to detach <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">from these things for at least an hour a week. For little toddlers there are beautiful series of little Catholic books put out by Father Lovasik. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">There are <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">plastic rosaries or books about saints. Immerse your children in spiritual treasures during mass.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">5. Parents have a duty to give their children ongoing, on the job training, all the time. That includes the obligation to train their children in <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">appropriate times to kneel, sit, stand and face the altar. If children are engaged in playing with toys, eating, and drinking, they are surely not <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">being <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">taught about the fact that Jesus is really up there on the altar, significance of prayer, self-control, and the importance of participating in the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">mass. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Parents themselves get distracted with managing the dispensing of food and toys. On top of that it is a distraction to others in the pews who are <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">hungry themselves, or who are trying to fully participate in mass.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">6. Do not drink bottled water in a house of worship. If an adult for some reason, needs to drink water to take some medication, please leave the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">church premises or at least the mass and drink the water if you must, outside the celebration of the Eucharist.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">7. If you are late for mass, please do not walk down the aisles looking for a seat until it’s appropriate. You are disrupting others. The Toronto <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Symphony does not allow late comers to waltz in at ‘whatever’ time. Church ushers should be trained to enforce this. Please do not leave mass before <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">it ends. You will be missing the supernatural graces of the final blessing. Besides, it’s a bad example for your kids.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">8. Do not be an observer of the mass, but a participator. Don’t ask yourself, ‘What is this mass doing for me?” Instead, ask yourself, ‘What can I <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">do <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">to participate in the mass more fully?” Make an effort to listen, follow the readings, the homily, read scripture passages before mass, learn the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">prayers of the mass, follow along in the misslette and sing! You will become an outstanding role model for your kids.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">9. Do not have conversations during the mass. You would never have a conversation during a performance of the symphony. If you did, you would be <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">asked to correct your behavior or leave. Quite simply, it’s rude.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">10. It might be useful to ask ourselves, Who am I? Why am I here? The answers: To know God, to love him and serve Him especially at Mass! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">ENJOY in the LORD’S presence during the Eucharist Celebration.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">And may I add the following IMPORTANT POINTS: **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">As you enter the House God, take some holy water provided at the entrance and sign yourself with the following words: May <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">the holy waters of baptism bless me, wash me clean and make me whole, In the Name of the Father and of The Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Before entering your pew, genuflect before The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, saying I bow down before you and adore you most Holy Trinity; <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">At the end of the Mass, after a brief period of thanksgiving prayer, before exiting the pew say: Thank you Abba Father, thank you Lord Jesus and <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">thank you Holy Spirit for permitting me to be so long in your holy presence and for all the blessings you have showered upon me and this <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">congregation.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">God Bless you all.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Please pass on to all the faithful!!!!! = = =__God Said No__= I asked God to take away my habit. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary

I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;It isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own!But I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me. God said..Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

THIS DAY IS YOURS DON'T THROW IT AWAY May God Bless You,

'To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world' 'May the Lord Bless you and keep you, May the Lord Make his face shine upon you, And give you Peace.....Forever'

__ Truly Special Story __ A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said,"This will make it better." All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know one thing. What matters most in this life is more than winning for ourselves.
 * What truly matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course**

=__**When you thought I wasn’t looking**__= When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’ t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Please share this to the people you know WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS, BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES.

__ **“The Empty Egg”** __ Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher. One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation.

As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, “Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn’t fair to him to be with younger children who don’t have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students.” Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. “Miss Miller,” he said, “there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here.” Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn’t fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying? As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought.

Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy’s noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him. “I love you, Miss Miller,” he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris’ face turned red. She stammered, “Wh-why that’s very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat.”

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg.

“Now,” she said to them, “I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Miss Miller,” the children responded enthusiastically-all except for Jeremy.

He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus’ death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them. That evening, Doris’ kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy’s parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller’s desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. “Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life,” she said. “When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here.” A small girl in the first row waved her arm. “That’s my egg, Miss Miller,” she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. “We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that’s new life, too.” Little Judy smiled proudly and said, “Miss Miller, that one is mine.” Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, “My daddy helped me,” he beamed. Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy’s she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another.

Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. “Miss Miller, aren’t you going to talk about my egg?”

Flustered, Doris replied, “But Jeremy, your egg is empty”

He looked into her eyes and said softly, “Yes, but Jesus’ tomb was empty, too.”

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, “Do you know why the tomb was empty?”

“Oh, yes,” Jeremy said, “Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up.”

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away. Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who least among you all he is the greatest.” – Luke 9 : 48

= = =__**Morning Motivation**__= When I woke up this morning lying in bed, I was asking myself; What are some of the secrets of success in life? I found the answer right there, in my very room. AND NOT TO FORGET, THE CARPET SAID... KNEEL DOWN AND PRAY. Carry a Heart that Never Hates. Carry a Smile that Never Fades. Carry a Touch that Never Hurts.. HAVE A PURPOSEFUL DAY IN THE LORD! 'God Blesses Us To Be A Blessing Unto Others' The generosity of your time is the most valuable gift you can give.


 * __<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Noah's Ark : __**

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__ONE__**: Don't miss the boat.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__TWO__**: Remember that we are all in the same boat!

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__THREE__**: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__FOUR__**: Stay fit. When you're 70 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__FIVE__**: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__SIX:__** Build your future on high ground.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__SEVEN__**: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__EIGHT__**: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__NINE__**: When you're stressed, float awhile.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__TEN__**: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **__ELEVEN__**: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's __always__ a rainbow waiting.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Please pass this on to people you want to be blessed.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **Give it! Don't just get it!**

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **Most people walk in and out of your life,**

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart** = = =__How Great is our God!__=

Our Creator and Redeemer. . . and do we THINK about it???

God's accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs. . . ..

For example:

-the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;

-those of the canary in 14 days;

-those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;

-The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;

-those of the mallard in 35 days;

-The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days. (Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!) God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily. The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation! God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains. -Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind. -Each orange has an even number of segments. -Each ear of corn has an even number of rows. -Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains. -Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number. -The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather. -All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold all even numbers. God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day. Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed! The lives of each of you may be ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way for His glory, if you will only entrust Him with your life. If you try to regulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. Only God, who made your brain and heart, can successfully guide them to a profitable end.

I HOPE YOU FIND THIS AS FASCINATING AS I DID. May God Bless You In Ways You Never Even Dreamed.


 * //One day I asked God for instructions//**
 * //On how to live on this earth...//**
 * //God brought His voice close to my ear and said…//**
 * //Be like the sun. Arise early, and do not go to bed late.//**
 * //Be like the moon. Shine in the darkness, but submit to the greater light.//**
 * //Be like the birds. Eat, sing, drink, and fly.//**
 * //Be like the flowers, Loving the sun, but faithful to your roots.//**
 * //Be like the faithful dog, but only to your Lord.//**
 * //Be like the fruit. Beautiful on the outside, and healthy on the inside.//**
 * //Be like the day, which arrives and leaves without boasting.//**
 * //Be like the oasis. Give your water to the thirsty//**//.//
 * //Be like the firefly, Although small, it casts its on light.//**
 * //Be like the water, Good and transparent//**
 * //Be like the river, always moving forward//**
 * //And above all things, be like the heavens: A home for God.//**
 * //Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.//**
 * //May your gracious Spirit lead me into the land//**
 * //of uprightness.//** //Psalm 143:10//
 * //Lord, don’t let me remain where I am.//**
 * //Help me reach where You want me to be.//**

__ **<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none;">Add God’s Name ** __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Add God’s Name in our daily life. Have you ever come across problems in life that are seemingly insurmountable? Then read on. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">————————– —————————– ———————————– ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">One rich man owned 19 horses when he died. In his last will and testament he had written that upon his death, half the horses he owned should go to his only son; one fourth to the village temple and one fifth to the faithful servant. The village elders could not stop scratching their heads. How can they give half of the 19 horses to the son? You cannot cut up a horse. They puzzled over this dilemma for more than two weeks and then decided to send for a wise man who was living in a neighboring village. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The wise man came riding on his horse and asked the villagers if he can be of any help to them. The village elders told him about the rich man’s last will and testament which stated that half of the (19) horses must be given to his only son; one fourth must go to the temple and one fifth to the faithful servant. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The wise man said he will immediately solve their problem without any delay whatsoever. He had the 19 horses placed in a row standing next to one another. Then he added his own horse as the 20th horse. Now he went about giving half of the 20 horses that is ten horses to the son. One fourth of 20-that is 5 horses were given to the temple committee. One fifth of twenty-that is 4 horses were given to the faithful servant. Ten plus five plus four made 19 horses. The remaining 20th horse was his own which he promptly mounted, spoke a few inspiring words, and rode back home. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The villagers were simply dumbfounded, full of disbelief and filled with admiration. And the parting words of the wise man were inscribed in their hearts and minds which they greatly cherished and passed on to their succeeding generations till today. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">————————– —————————– ———————————– ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The wise man said: <span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">In our daily lives, in our daily affairs, simply add God’s name and then go about facing the day’s happenings. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Ever come across problems in life that are seemingly insurmountable? (Like the villagers, do we feel that such problems cannot be solved?). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The wise man continued: <span style="color: maroon; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Add the God Principle in our daily lives and the problems will become lighter and eventually will disappear. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> In the manner of the ice which, with the addition of the heat principle will turn into water and that will eventually evaporate as steam and disappear. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">And how do we add God’s name in our daily lives? ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Through prayers, filled with true love and devotion with sincerity of purpose and dedication that only total faith can bring about. Meditation is a powerful means of directing the mind Godward. But without true love and devotion entering into it, it remains like a boat without water. It is not difficult to push a boat that is floating in water, but extremely hard to drag the same boat on dry land. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">So start adding God’s Name in our daily lives.

=__The Truth About Mary and Scripture: MUST SEE!__=

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media type="youtube" key="CJtRXzyWul8" height="315" width="420" "Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. Only he gives the fullness of life to humanity!" - Pope Benedict XVI

"Hear Mass daily; it will prosper the whole day. All your duties will be performed the better for it, and your soul will be stronger to bear its daily cross. The Mass is the most holy act of religion; you can do nothing that can give greater glory to God or be more profitable for your soul than to hear Mass both frequently and devoutly. It is the favorite devotion of the saints." - St. Peter Julian Eymard

"Everyday, Jesus humbles himself just as He did when He came from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; everyday He comes to us and lets us see Him in abjection, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar." - St. Francis of Assisi

"The Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord's Passion, since It contains Christ Himself and his Passion." - St. Thomas Aquinas

"Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven." - Pope Pius X

=__Top 10 Interesting Facts about the Bible__= The Bible (from Greek word Biblia meaning “the books”) is made up of sacred scripture of the various branches of Judaism and Christianity. The Bible, in its many different translations, is the best-selling book in history.

Here are the top ten most interesting facts from the Bible:
The Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors, men who wrote the inspired Word of God. It is made up of 66 books, 39 books in the old testament, and 27 books in the new testament. There are 1189 chapters in the Bible; with 929 chapters making up the Old Testament and 260 chapters included in the New Testament. The middle & the shortest chapter of the Bible is – Psalm 117:1-2 The longest chapter in the Bible is – Psalm 119:1-176 773,692 words are in the Bible. There is a total of 31,173 verses in the Bible. The middle verse in the Bible is – Psalm 118:8 The shortest verse in the Bible is – John 11:35 The longest verse in the Bible is – Esther 8:9 The longest living person in the Bible – Methuselah lived a total of 969 years – Genesis 5:27

Other interesting “facts”:
It is said that the words ‘Be not afraid’ appear in Scripture 366 times - One for each day of the year (leap years included). The Bible is the only book that states how the world came to be, the birth of man, the journey of man’s life to the present time, and even what is going to happen in the future. Grandmother only appears one time in the Bible – 2 Timothy 1:5 The longest word in the Bible is – “Mahershalalhashbaz” (18 letters long) – it appears in Isaiah 8:1 Have You read Your Bible Today? You might learn something new if you do read it, things are still being discovered in a book that is more than two thousand years old. That is interesting in itself. God Bless, and have a Great walk with Christ!

=__**WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS**__.=

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded." "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus. Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School." For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there... A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents. Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide.

Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250, 000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church , with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University, where thousands of students are educated. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds". This is a true story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.

= = =__Click on the pictures below to view the Catholic and Mother Mary collection on Pinterest__= Once you go to the link, click on the individual pictures to learn more about the picture...

=__Mother Mary Collection__=

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=__Five Finger Prayer__= This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives. __**1. Your thumb:**__ is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'

__**2. The index finger:**__ is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and priests. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

__**3. The middle finger:**__ is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

__**4. The fourth finger:**__ is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

__**5. And lastly comes our little finger:**__ The smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bhagvad Geeta says, 'The least shall be the greatest among you.' Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

=__**Have Faith ....And you be Blessed**__=

A priest was on a long flight home after a Church Conference. The first warning of approaching problems came when the 'Fasten Your Seat Belts' sign flashed on. After a while a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please make sure your seat belt is fastened."

The priest looked around the aircraft and saw that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve meals at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke.

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was tossed around like a cork in a celestial ocean. One moment it was lifted on terrific currents of air, the next it fell as if about to crash.

As the priest looked around he could see that nearly all the passengers were alarmed - except one little girl!

She sat calmly, feet tucked under her, looking at pictures in a book, oblivious of the turbulence around her. Sometimes she would close her eyes, and then she would go back to her book.

The storm blew over. When the plane landed and the passengers were disembarking, the priest approached the little girl and asked her why she was not afraid like the other passengers.

The little girl replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot and he's taking me home."

There are many storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic and other storms that can darken our skies and throw us into turmoil.

Like the little girl, let us always remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control. He will take us Home. Don't worry!

= = = = =__The Secret__= //To have God on our side doesn't mean sailing on a boat with no storms,// //it means having a boat that no storm can sink!//

One day, one friend asked another, ' How is it that you are always so happy? You have so much energy, And you never seem to get down...

With her eyes smiling, she said, ' I know the Secret! ' ' What secret is that? ' To which she replied, I'll tell you all about it, But you have to promise to Share the Secret with others.

__**The Secret is this:**__ I have learned there is little I can do In my life that will make me truly happy I must depend on God to show me happiness. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God that He will supply what I need when I need it According to HIS riches and in HIS time. I have learned most of the time I don ' t need half of what I think I do. He has never let me down. Since I learned that ' Secret ', I am happy.'

The questioner ' s first thought was, ' That's too simple! ' But upon reflecting over her own life She recalled how she thought a bigger house Would make her happy, but it didn't! She thought a better paying job Would make her happy, but it hadn't. When did she realize her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, Playing games, being a friend, eating pizza or reading a story, A simple gift from God.

Now you know it too! We can't depend on others to make us happy. Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that. Trust HIM! And now I pass the Secret on to you! So once you get it, what will you do?

YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too! That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU! But it 's not really a secret... We just have to believe it.. Really trust God!

__**Let's pray:**__ Father in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, I pray you open doors for the person who sent me this as well as those I am sending it to. Only you can open doors no person can close and for that we honor you today. Thank you for the open doors of life, health, strength, prosperity, wealth, and love. Also, thank you for closing the doors of death, sickness, weakness, despair, poverty, and bitterness. We love you today Lord and give you all the glory and all the praise. I seal this prayer in Jesus name, in whose name there is power and in whose name there is healing. Amen!!!

God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close. Even if you do not need God to open some doors for you, pass it on anyway.

=__Where is Jesus in our lives today?__= A ticket collector in a train found an old worn out wallet in a compartment full of many people. He looked inside to find the name of its owner. There was no clue. All that there was in it, was some money and a picture of Jesus Christ. He held it up and asked, ‘Who does this wallet belong to?’ An old man said, ‘That’s my wallet, please give it to me.’ The ticket collector said, ‘You’ll have to prove that it is yours. Only then I can hand it over to you.’ The old man smiled a toothless smile and said. ‘It has a picture of Jesus Christ in it.’ The ticket collector said, ‘That is no proof; anyone can have a picture of Jesus Christ in his wallet. What is special about that? Why is your picture not there in it?’ The old man took a deep breath and said, ‘Let me tell you why my picture is not there in it. My father gave this wallet to me when I was in school. I used to get a small sum as pocket money then. I had kept a picture of my parents in it. When I was a teenager I was greatly enamoured by my good looks. I removed my parent’s picture and put in, one of my own. I loved to see my own face and my thick black hair. Some years later, I got married. My wife was very beautiful and I loved her a lot. I replaced my own picture in this wallet with a picture of her. I spent hours gazing at her pretty face. When my first child was born, my life started a new chapter. I shortened my working hours, to play with my baby. I went late to work and returned home early too. Obviously, my baby’s picture occupied the prized position in my wallet.’ The old man’s eyes brimmed with tears as he went on.. ‘My parents passed away many years ago. Last year my wife too left her mortal coil. My son, my only son is too busy with his family. He has no time to look after me. All that I had ever held close to my heart is far, far away from my reach now. Now I have put this picture of Jesus Christ in my wallet. It is only now that I have realized that He is the eternal companion. He will never leave me. Alas! If only I had realized this before. If only I had loved the Lord all these years, with the same intensity as I loved my family, I would not have been so lonely today!’ The collector quietly gave the wallet to the old man. When the train stopped at the next station, the ticket collector went to the book stall at the platform and asked the salesman, ‘Please give me a small picture of Jesus Christ? I need one to put in my wallet!’ The Question we need to ask is where is Jesus in our lives today? Think of it, cause it could make a difference to your life today and in the days to come.

... The Rosary - Simply Amazing! ...
Jim Castle was tired when he boarded his plane in Cincinnati, Ohio, that night in 1981. The 45-year-old management consultant had put on a week long series of business meetings and seminars, and now he sank gratefully into his seat ready for the flight home to Kansas City, Kansas.

As more passengers entered, the place hummed with conversation, mixed with the sound of bags being stowed. Then, suddenly, people fell silent. The quiet moved slowly up the aisle like an invisible wake behind a boat. Jim craned his head to see what was happening, and his mouth dropped open.

Walking up the aisle were two nuns clad in simple white habits bordered in blue. He recognized the familiar face of one at once, the wrinkled skin, and the eyes warmly intent.

This was a face he'd seen in newscasts and on the cover of TIME. The two nuns halted, and Jim realized that his seat companion was going to be Mother Teresa!

As the last few passengers settled in, Mother Teresa and her companion pulled out rosaries.

Each decade of the beads was a different color, Jim noticed.

"The decades represented various areas of the world,"

Mother Teresa told him later, and added, "I pray for the poor and dying on each continent."

The airplane taxied to the runway and the two women began to pray, their voices a low murmur.

Though Jim considered himself not a very religious Catholic who went to church mostly out of habit, inexplicably he found himself joining in.

By the time they murmured the final prayer, the plane had reached cruising altitude.

Mother Teresa turned toward him. For the first time in his life, Jim understood what people meant when they spoke of a person possessing an 'aura'. As she gazed at him, a sense of peace filled him; he could no more see it than he could see the wind but he felt it, just as surely as he felt a warm summer breeze.

"Young man," she inquired, "do you say the rosary often?" "No, not really," he admitted.

She took his hand, while her eyes probed his.

Then she smiled. "Well, you will now." And she dropped her rosary into his palm.

An hour later, Jim entered the Kansas City airport

where he was met by his wife, Ruth. "What in the world?" Ruth asked

when she noticed the rosary in his hand.

They kissed and Jim described his encounter.

Driving home, he said. "I feel as if I met a true sister of God."

Nine months later,

Jim and Ruth visited Connie, a friend of theirs for several years.

Connie confessed that she'd been told she had ovarian cancer. "The doctor says it's a tough case," said Connie, "but I'm going to fight it. I won't give up."

Jim clasped her hand.

Then, after reaching into his pocket, he gently twined Mother Teresa's rosary around her fingers. He told her the story and said, "Keep it with you, Connie. It may help."

Although Connie wasn't Catholic, her hand closed willingly around the small plastic beads. "Thank you," she whispered. "I hope I can return it."

More than a year passed before Jim saw Connie again. This time her face was glowing, she hurried toward him and handed him the rosary.

"I carried it with me all year," she said. "I've had surgery and have been on chemotherapy, too. Last month, the doctors did second-look surgery, and the tumor's gone. Completely!" Her eyes met Jim's. "I knew it was time to give the rosary back."

In the fall of 1987, Ruth's sister, Liz, fell into a deep depression after her divorce. She asked Jim if she could borrow the rosary, and when he sent it, she hung it over her bedpost in a small velvet bag. "At night I held on to it, just physically held on. I was so lonely and afraid,"

she says, "yet when I gripped that rosary, I felt as if I held a loving hand."

Gradually, Liz pulled her life together, and she mailed the rosary back.

"Someone else may need it," she said.

Then one night in 1988, a stranger telephoned Ruth. She'd heard about the rosary from a neighbor and asked if she could borrow it to take to the hospital where her mother lay in a coma. The family hoped the rosary might help their mother die peacefully. A few days later, the woman returned the beads. "The nurses told me a coma patient can still hear," she said, "so I explained to my mother that I had Mother Teresa's rosary and that when I gave it to her, she could let go; it would be all rosary in her hand." "Right away, we saw her face relaxed. The lines smoothed out until she looked so peaceful, so young. A few minutes later, she was gone."

Fervently, the woman gripped Ruth's hands. "Thank you."

Is there special power in those humble beads?

Or is the power of the human spirit simply renewed in each person who borrows the rosary? Jim only knows that requests continue to come, often unexpectedly. He always responds though, whenever he lends the rosary, "When you're through needing it, send it back.

Someone else may need it."

Jim's own life has changed, too, since his unexpected meeting on the airplane. When he realized Mother Teresa carries everything she owns in a small bag, he made an effort to simplify his own life.

"I try to remember what really counts - not money or titles or possessions, but the way we love others," he says.

May God bless you abundantly. May Mother Mary ask her Son Jesus to shower you with grace.

Please feel free to pass this link on, especially to all those in despair so that they might know that they are not alone in their hour of need.

I know the power of the prayers of these simple beads and I wanted to share it with you. Every sacrifice has a fruitful reward. Every failure has a second chance.

We only have to be strong through God's grace and persevere in life's many tests!

May God bless you always!

=__ This will give you the chills.......GOOD chills. __= A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak t o people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.' The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.'He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for some thing, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.' He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.'

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.' His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear His voice more clearly than ever. Please listen, and obey ! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

=__I Love You, Son !__= After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service... With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. 'A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast,' he began. 'When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.' the old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, 'grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a believer and he, also, knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves... As the father yelled out, 'I love you, Son!' he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered. By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. 'The father,' he continued, 'knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus.. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. ' How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed his only begotten Son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service.' With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. 'That was a nice story,' politely stated one of them, 'but i don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a believer.' 'Well, you've got a point there,' the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face. He once again looked up at the boys and said, 'it sure isn't very realistic, is it? But,I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me. You see... I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend.

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=__An inspirational message__= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**His Pastor dad asked, 'Ready for what?'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**'Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son..'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**'Thanks Dad!'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**And with that, he was off and out into the rain.. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract .**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, 'Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, 'No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly...**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you!**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU .' Then he gave me this** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand..**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them anymore.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**You see-- -I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell..'**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated....**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son.... Except for One.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people!** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Please share this wonderful message...**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**If you love JESUS, please forward this message.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Spread His word, and share His goodness and faithfulness.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**Matthew 10:32 says:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px;">**'Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven** <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 25680.5px; width: 1px;"> So when....... There's work to do, deadlines to meet; You've got no time to spare, But as you hurry and scurry- ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos, "Quality time" is rare. Do your best; let God do the rest- ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries Are more than you can bear. Slow down and take a breather- ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is; He wants to ease our cares, And He'll respond to all your needs A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER. <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 25821.5px; width: 1px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY? <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">This is one of the nicest e-mails I have ever seen !! I dreamed that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received. I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. "How is it that there is no work going on here? I asked." "So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments." "How does one acknowledge God's blessings? "I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord." "What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked. "If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world.If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy, and if you get this on your mobile, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity." "If you woke up this morning with more health than illness.. You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day." "If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... Youare ahead of 700 million people in the world." "If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world." "If your parents are still alive and still married.... you are very rare." "If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair......." "Ok," I said. "What now? How can I start?" The Angel said, "If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all." Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.......... ATTN: Acknowledge Dept. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-top: 6px;">"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it." //<span style="background-image: url(">__ 😊 __ ////<span style="background-image: url(">__ 🙏 __ ////<span style="background-image: url(">__ 😊 __ //