Six Ears Of Corn

One day I needed to make a quick run to the hardware store. I gathered my four sons, who had been playing in the dirt, and we drove off in our old faded green Plymouth. They boys looked pretty grimy and I didn't look much better, but I wanted to get to the store before it closed.

On the way home, I noticed a weathered man and his plainly dressed wife selling vegetables out of the back of a beat—up station wagon that looked even older and junkier than our Plymouth. But the corn looked fresh and tasty, so I stopped. Their hand-lettered sign read, "Homegrown —— 8 ears for $1.00." I realized I had spent nearly everything at the hardware store. All I had were a few coins. Undeterred, I asked, "How many ears can I get for sixty-one cents?"

"How many do you need'?" the man asked.

"Well, there are six in my family, but I'm a little short here," I replied.

"It's a deal," he said and stuffed six big ears of corn into a used paper bag.

After we got home my kids showed me a paper sack on the floor by the back seat. Inside were several beautiful tomatoes, two cucumbers, a couple of green peppers and some beets. Surely the man and his wife needed the money that could have come from the sale of those vegetables. Why had they done it?

Then it dawned on me: old car, dirty kids, no money. The couple had assumed we were in need and had responded with compassion. Their generosity was humbling because they had given from what little they had.

That night as we bowed our heads and said grace, I gave thanks and a special prayer. "God, if others can give out of so little, help us always to do the same."

~Howard Urband~

Las Vegas, Nevada

Prayer Time

Please take a moment to relax your mind and humble your heart to focus on Christ. Allow God, to be the only person on your mind while you read this prayer. If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc., we should give the same respect to this prayer. Friends that pray together, stay together.  Let's pray...

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.

Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example-to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.  Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.

I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way.  I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things.

I pray for all my sisters and  brothers.  For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God.  Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.

This is my prayer. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Jim And Jesus

A minister passing through his church

in the middle of the day,

Decided to pause by the altar

and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,

a man came down the aisle,

The minister frowned as he saw

the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind of shabby

and his coat was worn and frayed,

the man knelt, he bowed his head,

then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,

each noon time came this chap,

each time he knelt just for a moment,

a lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,

with robbery a main fear,

He decided to stop the man and ask him,

"What are you doing here?"

The old man said, he worked down the road.

Lunch was half an hour.

Lunchtime was his prayer time,

for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see,

because the factory is so far away;

as I kneel here talking to the Lord,

this is kind of what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I

THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish,

told Jim, that was fine.

He told the man he was welcome

to come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said

"Thanks." He hurried to the door.

The minister knelt at the altar,

he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,

and met with Jesus there.

As the tears flowed, in his heart,

he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I

THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed

that old Jim hadn't come.

As more days passed without Jim,

he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,

learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried,

but he'd given them a thrill.

One week that Jim was with them,

brought changes in the ward.

His smiles, a joy contagious.

Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand

why Jim was so glad,

when no flowers, calls or cards came,

not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,

he voiced the nurse's concern:

No friends came to show they cared.

He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up

and with a winsome smile;

"the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,

that in here all the while

everyday at noon He's here,

a dear friend of mine, you see,

He sits right down, takes my hand,

Leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,

 HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,

AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,

I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,

AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS

CHECKING IN TODAY."

Author Unknown

Unemployed Graduate

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated as he could find no job, and nobody was ready to help him.

He bought food and as he sat down to eats; an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed that God would bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said to them 'you need the prayer more than I do'.

With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address.

He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him. On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. The proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth 3 million dollars. The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for 3 million dollars within an hour. He collected the Bank Draft and went in search of the old man and little children.

By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone. He asked the owner of the canteen if he knew them. He said no but they left a note for you. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them.

This is what the note said: 'You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin,' signed God the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. 1 Kings 17:10-16; Matthew 11:28-30

PRAYER:
Here is your financial blessing! It's a simple prayer, you've got 30 seconds. If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this e-mail.

Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God,
I pray to you that you abundantly Bless my family and me. I know that you recognize, that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother husband and wife, but all Who believe and trust in you.

Father, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for not only the person who sent this to me, but for Me and all that I have forwarded this message on to. And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in you is more powerful than anything.

I thank you in advance for your blessings.
Father God, deliver the person reading this right now and those who will read it in the near future from debt and debt burdens. Release your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me Father, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your word and have the faith of a Mustard seed that You will pour out blessings.
I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come Because I know You are not done with me yet.
In His name, I pray,
Amen

Beautiful Tax Time

The assessor approached with weary tread

And knocked at a farmhouse door,

"Not much value here," he said,

The surroundings looked very poor.

The room he entered was cozy and warm,

The couple were aged and gray,

from his portfolio he selected a form

And said in a business way.

"I'm here to appraise your property, sir,

to determine your wealth, you see.

I'm the assessor, I might infer,

Will you answer some questions for me?'

"Oh, we have great riches," they quickly replied,

Their faces aglow with bliss,

The assessor awaited with pencil poised

Waiting the items to list.

"Our mutual love we value quite high,

It began such a long time ago;

Each passing year has strengthened the tie,

That increases the value, you know."

"Our health is more precious than silver and gold,

The Master has been very kind;

We enjoy each day as it comes and goes,

While so many in illness repine."

"We've quite a fortune in relics, too,

Any price you would name would be small:

A soft golden curl, a little worn shoe,

And the fingerprints there on the wall.

"We've a special interest in heaven, too,

She departed this life at three,

A jewel in heaven with value true,

That's quite an asset, you see."

The astonished assessor squirmed in his shoes

(He was finding it hard to relax),

"They truly have great riches," he mused,

"But not one thing I can tax."

"We have no possessions," they calmly explained,

"To lock in a vault of steel,

Possessions and riches are different, you see,

Our riches, the things that we feel."

"There's one more that is quite vital,

You may be a little surprised,

We hold a bloodbought title,

To a mansion in the skies."

The puzzled assessor bowed himself out

In utter exasperation,

The richest couple he had ever known

Were entirely exempt from taxation.

Aren't you glad that you are tax exempt on the things that are most important in life?

Small Miracles

Two years ago in downtown Denver my friend, Scott, and I saw something tiny and insignificant change the world, but no one else even seemed to notice. It was one of those beautiful Denver days. Crystal clear, no humidity, not a cloud in the sky. We decided to walk the ten blocks to an outdoor restaurant rather than take the shuttle bus that runs up and down the Sixteenth Street Mall. The restaurant, in the shape of a baseball diamond, was called The Blake Street Baseball Club. The tables were set appropriately on the grass infield. Many Colorful pennants and flags hung limply overhead.

As we sat outside, the sun continued to beat down on us, and it became increasingly hot. There wasn't a hint of a breeze, and heat radiated up from the tabletop. Nothing moved, except the waiters, of course. And they didn't move very fast, either.

After lunch Scott and I started to walk back up the mall. We both noticed a mother and her young daughter walking out of a card shop toward the street. She was holding her daughter by the hand while reading a greeting card. It was immediately apparent to us that she was so engrossed in the card that she did not notice a shuttle bus moving toward her at a good clip. She and her daughter were one step away from disaster when Scott started to yell.

He hadn't even gotten a word out when a breeze blew the card out of her hand and over her shoulder. She spun around and grabbed at the card, nearly knocking her daughter over. By the time she picked up the card from the ground and turned back around to cross the street, the shuttle bus had whizzed by her. She never even knew what almost happened. To this day two things continue to perplex me about this event: Where did that one spurt of wind come from to blow the card out of that young mother's hand? There had not been a whisper of wind at lunch or during our long walk back up the mall.

Secondly, if Scott had been able to get his words out, the young mother might have looked up at us as they continued to walk into the bus. It was the wind that made her turn back to the card -- in the one direction that saved her life and that of her daughter.

The passing bus did not create the wind. On the contrary, the wind came from the opposite direction. I have no doubt it was a breath from God protecting them both.

But the awesomeness of this miracle is that she never knew.

As we continued back to work, I wondered how God often acts in our lives without our being aware. The difference between life and death can very well be a little thing.

Puppies For Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read “Puppies For Sale.” Signs like that have a way of attracting small children and sure enough, a little boy appeared by the store owner’s sign. “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked. The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30-$50.” The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37,” he said. “May I please look at them?”
The store owner smiled and whistled, out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”
The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.
The little boy became excited. “That is the little puppy that I want to buy.” The store owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”
The little boy got quite upset. He looked into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”
The store owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”
To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so good myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

The Best Day Of My Life

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever!

There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple

gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I’ll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don’t even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her and how Much she means to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don’t have and start being grateful for all, the wonderful things

God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

By Gregory M. Lousig-Nont, Ph.D.

From Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul

Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Aubery & Nancy Mitchell, R.N.

I Wish You Enough

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together.  They had announced her plane departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." 


She in turn said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed and she left.  He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. 

I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" 

"Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love,
and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited,
I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man was experiencing.  "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"  I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said. 

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ’I wish you enough.' 
May I ask what that means?" I asked.

He began to smile.  "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations.
My parents used to say it to everyone.

"He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.

"When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. 
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. 
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. 
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. 
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye".
He then began to sob and walked away. 

My Friends at this happy time of year ... I Wish You All ... Enough!

© By Bob Perks

Grandma's Apron

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath.  Because she  only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along  with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the  oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot woodstove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to eat.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:  Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the windowsill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs on the windowsill to thaw.  They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.  I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

The Eyes Of A Carpenter

Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to some orphanage 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 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! The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was 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."

Several 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. 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 coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top."

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." 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.

 

The Frog Prinicple

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs asked him, you continue jumping? Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2.  A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words

... It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.