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One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a
well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the
well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began
to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
donkey realized what was happening and cried
horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he
quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally
looked down the well. He was astonished at what
he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his
back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel
dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it
off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey
stepped up over the edge of the well and
happily trotted off!
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*****
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well
is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out
of the deepest wells just by not stopping,
never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less
_files/image002.gif) If you've ever thought you can't make an impact on the world unless you do
something larger than life, check out the music video below. I've found
myself playing it over and over in my head for many reasons, one of them being
that there was no fancy budget to make it, no big celebrities used, no over
blown special effects, etc. In fact, anyone with a video camera could have
done this. It is a shining example of using the gifts and talents God
gives us to make the world a better place. You'll find yourself smiling a
lot as you plunge deeper into the notion of how with a little creativity, a
lasting impression remains. But be forewarned, it's one of those songs
that's hard to get out of your head!
http://new.music.yahoo.com/oren-lavie/videos/view/her-morning-elegance--205809176
Also, check out this amazing and
inspirational video that shows the
many ways God can bless us with
different gifts and talents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo
What Will Matter
Michael Josephson
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Ready or not, some
day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes,
hours or days. All the things you collected,
whether treasured or forgotten will pass to
someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will
shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter
what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and
jealousies will finally disappear. So too,
your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists
will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so
important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what
side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful
or brilliant. Even your gender and skin
color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of
your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but
what you built, not what you got but what
you gave.
What will matter is not your success but
your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but
what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage, or sacrifice that
enriched, empowered or encouraged others to
emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but
your character.
What will matter is not how many people you
knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss
when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories but
the memories that live in those who loved
you.
What will matter is how long you will be
remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by
accident. It's not a matter of circumstance
but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters. |
Cupcakes and Rootbeer
Julie A. Manhan
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There once was a little boy who
wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God
lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans
of root beer and started on his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly
woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons.
The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was
about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed the
lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She
gratefully accepted and smiled at him.
Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again,
so he offered a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at
him. The boy was delighted!
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without
saying a word.
As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was
and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had
gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back
to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her
biggest smile ever.
When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the
look of joy on his face. She asked, "What has made you so
happy today?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." Before his
mother could respond he added, "You know what? She's got the
most beautiful smile in the whole world!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to
her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her
face. He asked, "Mother, what has made you so happy today?"
She replied, "I ate cupcakes in the park with God." And
before her son could reply, she added, "You know, he is much
younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a
kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the
smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to
turn a life around.
People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a
lifetime.
Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy!
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It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also
possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes,
the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters
himself.
-
Proverbs 11:24-25 |
Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next
secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a
crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the
air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little
parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas.
And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes
of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and
gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all
the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on
their faces and cover the world with their imagination."
Robert Fulghum
Love the earth and sun and animals,
Despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
Stand up for the stupid and crazy,
Devote your income and labor to others...
And your very flesh shall be a great poem.
Walt Whitman
"Be glad of life, because it gives
you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the
stars."
Henry Van Dyke
“Dear
Lord,
be
good to me...
The sea is so wide
and my boat is so small.”
Irish Fisherman's Prayer
O God, I thank You
for this day of life
for eyes to see the sky
for ears to hear the birds
for feet to walk amidst the trees
for hands to pick the flowers from the earth
for a sense of smell to breathe in the sweet
perfumes of nature
for a mind to think about and appreciate
the magic of everyday miracles
for a spirit to swell in joy at Your mighty presence
everywhere.
Marian Wright Edelman
Let us give thanks...
For generous friends...with hearts as big as hubbards
and smiles as bright as their blossoms;
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep
reminding us we had them;
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as
elegant as a row of corn -- and the others -- as plain as potatoes,
and so good for you.
For funny friends, who are as silly as brussels sprouts and as
amusing as Jerusalem artichokes, and serious friends as complex as
cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer
squash, as persistent as parsley, as delightful as dill, as endless
as zucchini, and who -- like parsnips -- can be counted on to see
you through the long winter;
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time, and
young friends coming on as fast as radishes;
For loving friends, who wind around as like tendrils, and hold us
despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;
And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past, that
have been harvested - but who fed us in their times that we might
have life thereafter;
For all these we give thanks.
Amen.
DAILY PRAYER
Struggling to find time to pray? Grab a few moments each day to
try this simple but powerful way to talk to God.
PAL
P - PRAY
A - ASK
L - LISTEN |
