Hanging By A Thread

A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet.

He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something.

HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? "HELP! He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. "Jack, Jack, can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!".”I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?".”Yes, but who are you, and where are you?".”I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere. " ."The Lord? You mean, GOD?”.”That's Me."

"God, please help me! I promise if, you'll get me down from here, I'II stop sinning. I'II be a really good person. I'II serve You for the rest of my life."

"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's get you off from there; then we can talk. Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully.”.”I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do.”.”Okay. Let go of the branch. ““'What?"

"I said, let go of the branch, just trust Me. Let go"

There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, "HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE 'UP THERE??”

'Have you ever felt like Jack? We say that we want to know the will of God, but when we find out what it is, we can't handle it. Sounds too scary, too difficult. We decide to look elsewhere. When He says, "Let go of the things that stand between you and Me, and trust Me with your life," it sounds pretty scary. But when we let go, we find freedom and safety in His hands."

 

A Good Brew

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the

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

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

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken

up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that t he cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

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

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

the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups    enjoy your coffee

 

The Dart Test

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.

A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40. No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ. This is an easy test; you score 100 or zero. It's your choice. If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you, before My Father." Not ashamed ... pass this on. Ashamed ... delete it. One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!" "How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price. Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary? Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God). Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace. Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me. Will YOU pass this on? .... I did

The Rose And The Thorn

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom….it died.

So it is with many people.  Within every soul there is a rose.  The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults.  Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.  We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies.  We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.  One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.

This is one of the characteristic of love.  To look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life, all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul.  Help others to realize they can overcome their faults.  If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer their thorns.  Only then will they blossom many times over.

 

Who Started Christmas

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children; after many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year - overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, make sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."
From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond,
"Don't worry.
We already crucified him."

For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word.

If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

The List

Do you have anything to be thankful for? In his classic novel

ROBINSIN CRUSOE, author Daniel Defoe has shipwrecked Crusoe take

inventory of his life. He makes two lists. One is a list of his

problems. The other is an inventory of that for which he can give

thanks.

A problem he writes is that he has no clothing. On his

corresponding list he writes that the weather is warm and he

really has little need for clothing. Another problem is that

all of his provisions were lost at sea. But on the other list he

writes that he has fresh fruit and water and can provide for

himself. And so it goes. He lists his problems and likewise lists

all that he has going for him. He is surprised at

the size of the list of his assets.

How long would your list be if you took inventory of your

blessings -- all of that for which you can give thanks? For

family. For friends. For faith. For health and the necessities of

life. Did you know that some one million people will die this

week...how is your health? Those who have food, clothing and

shelter have more than much of our world's population will ever

possess. Do you have these necessities of living?

How long would your list be if you took inventory of your

blessings...and added one new item daily? Would you be amazed at

the size of the list?

You have 1,140 minutes in every day. How would your life be

different if you spent just 15 of those minutes daily giving

thanks? Just 15 minutes filling your mind with concrete examples

of how fortunate you are? Most of us would discover even after a

few days that the exercise was life changing!

Poet Courtland Sayers put it this way:

Five thousand breathless dawns all new;

One million flowers fresh in dew.

Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;

One million snowflakes served ice cold.

Five quiet friends, one baby's love;

One white sea of clouds above.

One June night in a fragrant wood;

One heart that loved and understood.

I wondered when I waked that day --

In God's name -- how could I ever pay?

Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, "If the only prayer you

say in your whole life is 'thank you,' that would suffice." I

suspect he is right.

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of

food to eat. Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we

have plenty of nice clothes to wear. And I would like to thank you,

Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last

night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the

splattered mess, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are

so convenient. Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that

needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many

years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or

three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned

today; it has baked so many things over the years. The whole family

is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that

needs raking; we all enjoy the yard. Thank you, Lord, even for that

slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have

richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do

them gratefully. Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple,

but only God knows the number of apples in a seed.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,

Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf. Even

though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as

possible, Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind. Even

though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, Thank you, Lord, that

I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are

lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so

loud, Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are

lonely. Even though our breakfast table never looks like the

pictures in magazines and the menu is at times not balanced, Thank

you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, Thank you,

Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish

my circumstances were not so modest, Thank you, Lord, for life.

- Author Unknown

Thank You Thank You Lord

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,

thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,
toast is burned and tempers are short,
my children are so loud thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like
the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord, for life.

If we can pass this on to most people we know,
it might help a bit to make this world a better place to live in.