Great Attitude

Once a bird asked a Bee, after a continuous hard-work, you prepare the honey.

But a man steals the honey. Do you not feel sad?

Then the Bee replied: Never… Because a man can only steal my honey not the art of making honey..!!

God's embroidery

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand. I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee."

This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre- drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?"

He has answered, "I am embroidering your life."

I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"

The Father seems to tell me, "My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

A date with a woman

After 21 years of marriage, Tom's wife wanted him to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said I love you but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.

The other woman that his wife wanted him to visit was his MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of his work and his three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night Tom called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

'What's wrong, are you well,' she asked? Tom's mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

'I thought that it would be pleasant to be with you,' Tom responded. 'Just the two of us.'

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.'

That Friday after work, as he drove over to pick her up he was a bit nervous.

When he arrived at her house, he noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about their date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, 'she said, as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting'. They went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. Tom's mother took his arm as if she were the First Lady.

After they sat down, he had to read the menu. Large print. Half way through the entries, he lifted his eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at him. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' Tom responded.

During the dinner, they had an agreeable conversation - nothing extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other's life.

They talked so much that they missed the movie.

As they arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' , Tom agreed.

'How was your dinner date?' asked his wife when he got home. 'Very nice.

Much more than I could have imagined,' he answered.

A few days later, Tom's mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that he didn't have time to do anything for her.

Some time later, he received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place they had dined.

An attached note said:
'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.’

At that moment, Tom understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU!' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family.

Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.'

A touch of lemon

When I met Mr. Jim Lemon, I was a sixteen-year-old freshman at Houston's Jackson Junior High and the chances of my finishing high school were slim. I was a troubled teenager with an attitude, living in a neighborhood that fostered troubled teenagers.

Mr. Lemon taught American history and it was clear from the first day that his classroom was not going to be disrupted. It was apparent, very quickly, that Mr. Lemon was quite different from the other teachers I had known. Not only was he a disciplinarian, but also he was a great teacher. He would never settle for my usual standard of classroom work. Mr. Lemon pushed and prodded and never tolerated the mediocrity that had become my standard.

On the occasion of our first semester report cards, Mr. Lemon called me aside and asked how it was possible that I was a B student in his class and a D and F student in the rest of my classes.

I was ready for that question. I passionately told him about my divorced parents, the local gangs, the drugs, the fights, and the police - all the evils that I had been subjected to. Mr. Lemon listened patiently and when I was through he responded, “There’s a problem with your list Mr. Phillips, you are not on it.”

Then Mr. Lemon explained that the only person responsible for my situation was me. And the only person with the potential to change my situation was me, and that when I personally accepted that responsibility I could make a significant change in my life.

He convinced me that I was failing not because I was a failure, but because I was not accepting the responsibility for my results in those other classes. Mr. Lemon was the first teacher I had who made me believe in myself. He inspired me to become a better student and he changed my life.

Ten years later, I spoke to him again. I was preparing to graduate from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

It had taken weeks of telephone calls to find him but I knew what I had to say. When I finally did get Mr. Lemon on the telephone, I explained what his brutal honesty had meant to me, how I finally graduated from high school, and how I was a proud staff sergeant in the Army. I explained how I had married the most beautiful and wonderful woman of my dreams and how we had a beautiful daughter.

Most of all I wanted him to know that I was about to graduate in Latin Honours after going to school for four hours a night, four nights a week for three years. I wanted him to know that I could never have done any of these things if he had not been a part of my life.

Finally, I told him that I had been saving money for two years so that I could invite he and his wife to come to Hawaii at my expense to be part of my graduation. I'll never forget his response. Mr. Lemon said, "Who is this again?"

I was just one of hundreds of students whose life he changed and he seemed genuinely surprised of his impact.

Perhaps none of us realize the impact that we have on other people nor do other people have any idea how much of an impact they have on us. How much, then, should we be aware of our influence on others to make sure that it is for the best? And how much more should we tell those who have had a positive impact on our lives?

Dare to dream

Sitting at the Marshalls, with my time card in my hand, I started to realize where I was and what I was finally doing. Thoughts of "I'm not good enough to be here" started floating around my head. As much as I tried, I could not get this thought out of my head the whole time I was sitting with my other seven competitors.

As my race approached and I clambered up the stairs and got behind my lane, ready to race, the thought started to disappear.

I started to look around the crowd. I saw the officials and finally my competitors. Seeing their faces, their concentration, their anguish, I finally glanced down my lane.

At the start and the end of this lane were two walls. In between the two walls was water. And in the water was my DREAM.

What came next was my realization. A dream is based on your reality, your strengths and your weaknesses. If my dream was above the ground then I just made the foundations to make it concrete, a reality. "I'm here aren't I?" - I said to myself.

I swam the race of my life. I wasn't placed anywhere, but just to be here was my dream. People often thought that I couldn't do it and I wouldn't do it. So when I got here, the best feeling I had was when I figured out that "I was good enough, not only because I made the qualifying time but mainly because I never gave up; I gave my dream a shot."

An aim, a dream, a focus; never think you have set your goals too high. You will just have the bigger challenge of achieving it.

 

Precious Stone

A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream.

The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food.

The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."

Sometimes it not the wealth you have but what's inside you that others need.

Being Polite

I walked with a friend to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the owner politely. The owner, however, did not even acknowledge it.

"A sullen fellow, isn't he?" I commented as we walked away.

"Oh, he's that way every night," shrugged my friend.

"Then why do you continue being so polite to him?" I asked.

And my friend replied, "Why should I let him determine how I'm going to act?"

2 days we should not be worried about.

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.

Any person can fight the battle of just one day.

It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

Spirit

There were two men both whom decided to get a horse. One man found a red Rhone with much spirit. The other chose one more docile. They would go riding together every day. It so happened on the route they would take around the countryside, there was a ditch about eight or nine feet wide, after a time it was apparent that the Rhone's spirit could not be shaken and he gave everything he had in all he did.

When coming up to this gap in the trail he hurled it the first time. Because of the spirit in him he was quick to respond and jumped it with no problem. Yet the more docile horse would balk every time he came to the edge. He wasn't sure of the distance; he would stand on the edge trembling with indecision and doubt because the distance to him looked too great.

Then one day after awhile, coming up to the ditch and watching his companion take it with ease, something happened within him, a knowing was born that he could too. So with agility and ease he gracefully bounded over the barrier.

Life is much like the two horses. When we as people come up against trials or situations we just don't feel like we can make the distance or that it just is too big and we don't know if we'll make it. So we balk standing on the edge trembling. It's not until we depend upon the spirit within. Then we are able to make it with ease. Until we quit looking at the obstacle or trial through our eyes, they will always seem too big for us.

But there is a spirit within us that can judge the distance to the other side and will give us the strength to make it through it.

As long as we let it.

It all comes to a choice whether we look for the spirit within or just stand on the edge and balk. We will always have a choice.

The best gift.

There were two elderly men living at Mount Hogenakkal ; one lived down at the lake shore, the other lived up in the forest a fair distance away. Both had long been retired and being childhood friends, they found a lot of joy and solace in each others company.

It happened that, during winter, the man down near the lake took seriously ill. The friend from the forest came to visit him and brought him a precious gift. The sick man was happy with the gift. Soon he got over his illness and was up and about. The two continued visiting each other off and on as often as possible, their age being a limiting factor.

After a while, the man living up in the forest stopped making his regular visits to the lakeside, so his friend walked up to the forest to see him, and found him sick and in bed. He also brought his friend a special gift. And every day he trudged up that hill and paid his forest friend a visit, always bringing along a special gift. It was always the same gift. In fact it was the very same kind of gift that he himself had been presented with when he was bedridden the previous winter.

When both men were well, and up and about, they used to take refreshing strolls either in the forest or around the small lake. And both enjoyed the gift which the other always brought. What was the gift? They had not bought it in any store; in fact, it could not be bought. Nor was the gift wrapped up in any fancy paper, as at any festival. Whenever they visited each other, the visitor did not carry the gift with him, but inside him. That way he could never lose it. It was, in fact, such a big gift that all the wrapping paper in the world could not cover it.

Do you know what the gift was ?

Each visitor gave the other his TIME.
              
                                  

 

Patience to Learn

A young man presented himself to the local expert on gems and said he wanted to become a gemologist. The expert brushed him off because he feared that the youth would not have the patience to learn. The young man pleaded for a chance. Finally the expert consented and told the youth, "Be here tomorrow."

The next morning the expert put a jade stone in the boy's hand and told him to hold it. The expert then went about his work, cutting, weighing, and setting gems. The boy sat quietly and waited.

The following moring the expert again placed the jade stone in the youth's hand and told him to hold it. On the third, fourth, and fifth day the expert repeated the exercise and the instructions.

On the sixth day the youth held the jade stone, but could no longer stand the silence. "Master," he asked, "when am I going to learn something?"

"You'll learn," the expert replied and went about his bussiness.

Several more days went by and the youth's frustation mounted. One morning as the expert approached and beckoned for him to hold out his hand, he was about to blurt out that he could go on no longer. But as the master placed the stone in the youth's hand, the young man exclaimed with-out looking at his hand, "This is not the same jade stone!"

"You have begun to learn," said the master.

Transform

A seed was born. It lived a comfortable life within its shell for sometime. then the rains came. The seed got soaked and began to rot.

The seed thought to itself : I will die as a seed anyway, so let me create something that will stay alive beyond me. The seed then decided to crack open its shell and transformed itself into a green plant.

The plant grew rapidly with the help of the rain & fertile soil. Soon it reached the stage of maturity where it could grow no more in its present form. The plant then transformed itself into a beautiful flower bud. The flower bloomed with the spring. When the spring was over, the flower began to wither.

No one admired the wilting flower any more. So the flower decided to transform itself into fragrance. As the smell of the flower spread far & wide , bees came to visit the flower.

As a result of this relationship new seed were born. That old seed which had decided to transform itself came alive again in a million seeds.

Pray First

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away.Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild “Tom” turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke 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 rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, “I said ‘Pray, Aim high and Stay focused.” So, the man decided to listen to God’s 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 up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.

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

Moral of the story:

Pray first before you do anything, Aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.

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 doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.

Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.

“Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you’re not willing to move your feet.”

Two Acrons

If you want to understand adversity, take two identical acorns from the same oak tree and plant them in two different locations. Plant the first in the middle of a dense forest, and the other on a hill by itself.

Here's what will happen. The oak standing on a hillside is exposed to every storm and gale. As a result its roots plunge deep into the earth and spread in every direction, even wrapping themselves around giant boulders. At times it may seem the tree isn't growing fast enough - but the growth is happening under ground. It's as if the roots know they must protect the tree from the threatening elements.

What about the acorn planted in the forest? It becomes a weak, frail sapling ­ having to compete with giant oaks for nutrients and space. And since it is protected by its neighbors, the little oak doesn't sense the need to spread its roots for support.

Don't be afraid of adversity ­ welcome it! That's your sure-fire route to ultimate success.

Monk & Baby

Once there was a monk who lived in a village. One day a young village girl became pregnant and was unmarried. She did not want to expose her boyfriend. Out of fear when her parents asked her who is responsible, she pointed her finger to that monk.

Her parents were infuriated. The next day, the whole village turned up to blame the him. "How could you?" "You dirty old man!" "You are a disgrace!" "Get out of our village, you hypocrite!" Some villagers even threaten his life.

After listening to all the accusations, what he said was "Is that so?" and went back to meditate. Months went by; the young girl gave birth to a baby. The parents of the young girl were forced to find a father for the child.

The parents and the villagers went up to approach him saying "You are responsible for this baby; therefore you should bring up the baby!" Once again, he said "Is that so?" He took the young baby in his arms and went back.

By this time he has lost his reputation but it did not trouble him. He took very good care for this baby and he manages to obtain milk and everything the child needed from his neighbors.

After a year, he young girl felt ashamed and guilty and wanted to see her baby. She finally told the real story to her parents. When all the villagers came to know the truth, they all felt ashamed of having wrong him.

So all of them gathered and went to the monk asking for forgiveness. Once again, after listening to them said "Is that so?" He handed the baby back to the young girl.

********

When you are right, one thousand angels swearing that you are wrong does not

matter. But when you are wrong, ten thousand angels swearing that you are right will not make any difference.

What are you made of ?

There occur some moments in life when we are awestruck by the spirit and courage of the people around us. I am sharing one of those moments of mine.

What is the first reaction that we have when we see any person with physical challenges? Most often it is a feeling of sympathy and pity towards that person. However, it is not until you talk to them or see them doing something awesome that it dawns on you, that these guys actually have a character of steel within them, incomparably stronger than our own. It is then that, that feeling of pity evaporates and is replaced by awe and respect. It is then that you realize that this person is an icon of grit, determination, courage and passion to look up to...

Quite some time ago, when I was in college, there was this friend of mine. We had first met in a pretty unusual way. After college, I was waiting for an auto to go home. Today, it was taking pretty long to find an empty one. My hands were tiring from waving incessantly. Another auto came by. I could see it was occupied and so did not wave to it. Quite to my surprise, it screeched to a halt just past me. A boy's face popped out and he asked me to get in.

At my first glance towards him, my brain responded "I am not sure but I think I have seen this guy, he is probably from my college". So I thanked him and got into the auto. He asked me where was I headed for. Incidentally, the place I wanted to go was en-route his destination.

The auto started on its way ahead. We exchanged introductory greetings. And I was right, he was from my college but in another department. So, now we had lots in common to talk about while moving towards our destinations. Out of the talk, somehow came up the topic of helping people.

He was saying that, "People should always help each other in whatever capacities possible. For example, I often see that when college ends and students hurry to catch an auto, they do not bother to call out their fellow mates who are also waiting for an auto, and ask them where do they want to go? Who says that you should call out only to your best friends and not someone who belongs to your college and whom you know by face at least."

What he was telling was simple and obvious, yet very relevant. His way of talking reminded me of school days, when during the moral science periods we were taught some very basic and simple acts of benevolence, but we never bothered to inculcate them in our practical lives till date. I actually felt guilty for having acted in the same manner myself quite a few times.

Time went by as we talked and his destination arrived. He got down from the auto, and the next visual that my brain interpreted left me temporarily dazed. His one leg was crippled. He had to use his hand to hold the crippled leg by knee and then bend to move the leg forward with his hand. I could hardly recollect my senses back to realize that he was waving me good bye. I somehow managed to wave him back with a smile.

We had hardly talked for some 10-15 minutes but he had left a permanent impression on me by the time we parted ways. He had talked of helping people, He had. Until now, through my narrow brain, I used to think that these guys can 'Only Be Helped'. But 'Him' talking about helping others and my recollection of thoughts as a so-called 'Normal' guy who had acted in the opposite direction in the earlier times made me realize the shallowness of my character and the depth of his. Thanks to this anonymous friend of mine, he changed some of my perceptions forever.

Days passed by. Now whenever we used to meet in college, we used to greet each other, sometimes even have a talk if we had time, though I never mentioned to him what he had gifted me with on our first encounter. A few days later, we had the annual technical festival of our college. Given the pride and prestige of my college and the scale of the festival, it was considered to be the best in the country. So obviously, it was a huge crowd puller.

It was to take place over 3 days during which there would be many competitions and exhibitions. I spent the first day watching some competitions and decided to check out the exhibitions on the second. The exhibitions were scattered over the campus but the main attraction among them was the central exhibition at the college grounds. It had the best scientific projects from across the country on display. It had gained such fame that the minimum time it took for a person to enter the exhibition after being through serpentine queues was about 2 hours.

In order to discipline the thronging crowds into proper queues, quite a few volunteers had been deployed at the spot.

After having had my share of the 2-hour ordeal in the afternoon sun, I was finally getting close to the entrance. I could hear the volunteer guarding the entrance shouting instructions to the people on how to move through the large exhibition inside. Upon drawing closer, I saw the volunteer. He was none other than the new friend of mine, confidently guarding the door not allowing more than 10 people inside at a time. He dazed me much more this time than he had last time. Like magma erupting from a volcano, thoughts erupted in my mind.

I wanted to go upto him and bow to him. In my mind, I already had. I wanted to ask him, "What are you made of?" The confidence that was radiating from him was disarming. I started wondering how can a person like him have this level of confidence. Did he actually ever think that he had a physical challenge? Was he even aware of it? Probably not. Nor I think were the event managers who had given him this responsibility. A job which would have even a full fledged 'normal' person in sweats, because it demanded facing people and showing command, was being performed by Him.

I became so lost in my thoughts that I actually had to be nudged by the person standing behind me to wake me up and move ahead in the line. I was completely overwhelmed and at a loss of words to say anything to this great human whom I had befriended just a few days ago, so that when I actually came up to him, all I could manage was a smile and a wave of hand.

Till that day, I had almost always attributed spirit and courage to the physical realm of a man with a well built physique who could stand tall with a broad chest to face the world in the eye. But here I was, standing dumbstruck, looking in awe at the personification of spirit and courage well Beyond Boundaries...

The Window

A young couple relocated to a new place due to their transfer. The next morning, while they are enjoying their morning tea, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash to dry.That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better washing powder.

Her husband looked on, but he remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, one fine morning while these young couple enjoying their morning tea, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said: "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!"

And so it is with life:

"What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge. "

Commitment

I will never forget what my old headmaster told taught me. Normally when you are only 15 years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.

It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.

His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbors could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.

The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

He said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.

Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment.

We should remain true to our course; which may mean committing yourselves to things that people around you would normally disapprove. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but ourselves.

What makes us happy is what matters in the end, not what we acquire.

Baking the Cake

A very ill little boy was telling his Grandma how "everything" was going wrong ...school was too hard, family problems other than his illness, his severe pain, just all the hardships he was going through.

Meanwhile, Grandma was baking a cake. She asked the child if he would like a snack, which of course he does.

"Here. Have some cooking oil."

"Yuck," said the boy.

"How about a couple of raw eggs?"

"Gross, Grandma."

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"

"Grandma, those are all yucky!"

To which the Grandma replied: "Yes, Sweetheart, those things seem bad all by themselves. But, when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why he would let us go through such bad and difficult times, but, God knows that, when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!

We just have to trust Him and, eventually the yucky stuff will make of our lives something wonderful!"

Beautiful Silence

Have you ever experienced a moment in your life when you just ran out of words and you go...
 
s i l e n t ???
 

Let me assist you in recalling...
 
..... the moment when you left your home for the first time and you look back at your parents who are worried that their son/daughter are leaving them yet happy that their child took the first step towards independence.
 
..... the moment when the girl/boy you like most.. smiled back at you! You don't say anything.. you just smile back..
 

..... the moment when you get better marks than you expected... those "numb" moments of ecstasy n surprise "is that true?"...
 
..... the moment when you are parting with your old friend(s) and the train has just started... and you are standing on the door of the wagon.. waving "bye-bye" with your heart beating fast...
 

... .. the moment after the HR manager has just called you and told you,"You are through! Congrats!"

..... the moment when you sit alone in your room after having told everyone that you cleared that exam you prepared for 6 months!! You can go on remembering your "special" moments!

I had always wondered why I never said anything to myself at those moments.. as if it was "understood" ... happiness, joy, pain.. all feelings just flowed ceaselessly in the 'years' that passed in those flash moments!
 
They say.. the best way to communicate is through "silence". Love. Joy. Grief. Surprise. Anger. Hope. Expectations. Support. Non-cooperation. ..
 
Can you imagine the importance of a silent moment in a song??  When Bryan Adams stops for a while along with music, before he goes on ...
..... Please forgive me. I can't stop loving you!
 

Ever had those moments when you thought you were tired enough that you reach for your bed after dinner.. but find yourself wide awake looking at the roof of your room silently...
 
But you sure are 'thinking'.. . those moments of self-talk are the most important in our lives. Those moments when we listen to our own hearts! Those promises... those decisions... those are the moments when we make our destinies!
 

Next time you go silent... listen carefully to what your heart is saying.. listen to its joy...listen to its pain.. listen to its fears.. listen to its desires..
 

and
 
Be in touch with your true self...

Future is in your hands

An young man disappointed with his life, went to a fortune teller and requested: "Sir, I want to know about my future. Please find out and tell me." 

The fortune teller drew two circles on the floor side by side, one white and the other black. Then he placed a dead ant at some distance and said, "I will utter certain 'mantras' now and the ant will start moving. If it enters the white circle, it implies that your future is bright. And if it enters black circle, it means your future is dark." .

So saying, he started uttering mantras and after some time, the ant really started moving. The young man was looking at it, full of anxiety. He saw quietly till the ant moved in between the two circles. When it took a turn and started moving towards the black circle he got nervous. But, as the ant was about to enter the circle, he could not control himself anymore and suddenly picked the ant and put it in the white circle. 

Fortune teller got upset and asked, "Why did you do that, you fool?" 

But, the young man replied with confidence, "I am not a fool. I would have been a fool, had I continued to watch quietly my fortune moving towards darkness knowing full well that MY FORTUNE IS IN MY HANDS!"

Moral: Don't let anything discourage you. Remember, your destiny is in your hands. . . Act today, act now and act fast."

House with Golden Windows

The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill – and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.

When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself…and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict.

So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike … As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her…there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden …as the sun shone on her little home.

She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the ‘golden house’. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

Stay Calm

A doctor quickly entered the hospital after being called in for an urgent surgery. He changed his clothes and went directly to the surgery block. He saw the boy’s father walking back and forth in the hall waiting for the doctor.

Once seeing the doctor, the dad yelled: “Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you know that my son’s life is in danger? Don’t you have the sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled and said: “I am sorry, I wasn’t in the hospital and I came the fastest I could… now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work.”

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do?” said the father angrily.

The doctor smiled again and replied: “I will say what is said in the Holy Bible ‘From dust we came and to dust we return, blessed be the name of God.’ Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go and intercede for your son, we will do our best by God’s grace.”

“Giving advice when we’re not concerned is so easy” murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, “Thank God! Your son is saved!”

And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running. “If you have any question, ask the nurse.”

“Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state?” commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered: “His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son’s surgery.”

Learning : Stay calm in all situations so you can make decisions the best you can, be it in life or busines.

Pool

Through the cold winter wasteland he trudged, leaning into the harsh wind which spitefully tried to force him back. He was covered from head to toe in layers of thick clothing, layers of protection against the harsh environment. On he fought, searching, searching. He was working so hard. This must be the way.

In the distance he saw what looked like steam rising out of the ground. It rose a few feet and then was quickly whipped away by the biting wind. He altered his course and turned towards the steam, gaining some blessed relief as he turned his chapped face out of the gale. As he got closer, he thought he could make out voices. Their tone was unfamiliar to him - musical, relaxed and warm - their melody enticed him closer. Finally he got close enough to peer through the mist.

There before him was a remarkable sight. In the midst of the frozen wasteland, cut into the ground was a large pool. Several people were in the pool, they seemed to be floating easily without any effort. As they saw him approach, a woman called out to him.

"Come in here. It is lovely and warm. You can just lie back and relax," said the woman.

"I can't. There are no steps." The man replied.

"Just jump in. It really is lovely in here. Come on. There's plenty of room for another." Another of the floaters joined in the persuasion.

"But what if I don't like it, how will I get out? The sides are too high to reach up to."

"Believe me, you won't want to get out. Come on. It is so good in here."

He stood for a moment, paralyzed with indecision. It looked so much like the answer, but how could it be this easy? Just jump in? Lie back and relax? It couldn't be that simple. It must be a trick. He could not trust them. There was no way out if he changed his mind. He blocked out their warm invitations and once more filled his mind with grim determination.

On he trudged. Hours passed and his shadow grew long. Then once again in the distance he saw another cloud of rising steam. Entering the mist, a similar sight greeted him once more.

"Come in here. You don't have to be cold any more," said one of the bathers in a gentle voice. All the faces in the pool turned to look at him. Warm smiles reached out to him but his eyes could not perceive them.

"How do I get in? I can't see any steps. You are a long way down." He asked once again.

"Just jump in. It is very deep. You will be quite safe."

"But what if I want to get out? What if I get tired and cannot stay afloat any longer?"

"This is not like normal water, we are kept afloat without any effort. I promise you, you really will not want to get out."

"But my clothes will get wet and their weight will drag me down."

"You can remove all those layers. You will not need their protection in here. It is always beautifully warm."

But he could not bring himself to do that. Those layers were his protection, accumulated over the years to keep out the bitter cold. How could he now discard them, just like that? How could he allow himself to be so exposed?

On he trudged. Darkness came and the temperature dropped still further. Snow began to fall and the wind drove it into his face. Walking blind he carried on.

Then suddenly he felt some warmth in the air and the ground disappeared beneath him. With a scream he fell and his fall was broken with a splash. Panic overcame him and he thrashed around desperately until his hands touched a wall and he clawed at the smooth surface, loudly cursing the futility of it.

Then suddenly he heard a soft voice beside him. '"Shhhh. It's OK. It's OK," said the voice in beautiful feminine tones. "Just relax. You will be OK." Then he felt her hands moving over his body, searching then loosening his winter clothing. Layer after layer was gently removed, her voice continuing to sooth his panic until eventually he could feel the wonderful warmth of the water directly against his skin. "It's OK," she said once more as she held him close in the dark. For the first time since he could remember, he fully relaxed and quickly drifted off into a much needed sleep in her arms.

He awoke to a wonderful new dawn. He gazed into the beautiful eyes of his rescuer and felt the wonderful warmth of the water around him. Then he heard footsteps above. A weary man dressed head to foot in winter furs peered over the edge of the pool.

"Come in here!" He quickly shouted to the man. "It is so wonderful in here!"

"But what if I don't like it? How will I get back out?" The man asked.

"Believe me. You really won't want to get out," he assured the man.

You are my Life

There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.

But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like committing suicide. All of this because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.

His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.

They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, 'Do you know son, why I am here today?"

The boy answered back, "to check my grades?"

"No, no" his dad replied, "I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don't care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE."

These words caused the boy's eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn't say anything to each other for a long time.

Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!

Thanks a lot dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.

Crayon Box

One of the memories that I will always have about when I was in Kindergarten, was the day my friend taught me about crayon boxes. She was my first real friend, and my best friend at the time. One day we were coloring, and she let me borrow crayons from her huge 64-count box. I thought they were so cool. My little 24-count box was nothing compared to hers.

As we were coloring, I reached over to put a crayon back in the box. If any of you have ever used crayons, you know that sometimes they don't go back in as easy as they came out, and that sometimes you end up with a huge bulge in the box. Well, that's what happened with this particular crayon.

I kept trying to force back in the box so it would fit, and my friend didn't like that too much, since it was her crayon box. She started throwing a fit and I remember her yelling, "Don't force it!" Then she continued to give me a demonstration on how you push the other crayons out of the way to make room for the other one going back into the box.

As we were growing up, we continued to stay good friends in grade school. I remember always teasing her about it, and she said she never remembered that day really, but I know it really happened, because I think it was the first time she ever yelled at me.

When we entered high school, things started to change, like they most often do. We still talked when we got the chance, but we started to make our own friends. We've stayed in touch, always saying 'hi' in the halls and everything, but we weren't the same best friends we were in Kindergarten.

Just this year, my sophomore year, things really started to change for me. So many different things happened, I felt like I was lost in the world. I didn't know what to do or who I could turn to.

Then one day my friend came to my locker after school because she saw that I had been crying after spending the afternoon in the guidance office. She asked me what was wrong and I knew I could trust her, so I told her everything that was going on in my life. I told her this in a 7 page note and gave it to her in school.

A couple periods later she had stopped me in the halls and gave me a note and told me how she understood and everything. She wrote me and told me how I just need some time for things to get worked out, and that everything will be okay. At the end of the note, she wrote one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me. She wrote at the end: "I'll give you the same advice I gave you back when we were in Kindergarten: Don't Force It!"

When I read that it put a smile on my face, the first smile that I had cracked in awhile. I told her that I appreciated the note totally. It's funny that out of all the things people have said to me and tried to help me, those words she wrote in the note were the most inspirational.

Angel in all of us

There was once a young lad walking down the streets of Rome, from one end of the city to the other, on his way to visit a relative. While walking, he happened to pass a beautifully impressive cathedral and heard loud sounds coming from the building; they sounded like a lot of pounding.

Deciding to please his curiosity, he approached the building, opened the heavy monolithic door (which creaked as he opened it) and peeked inside the church. Well, all he could see was an old man in front of a big piece of marble, chipping away with a chisel and a hammer.

The young man probably thought to himself, "Well, it must be something very important because he doesn't even notice me". He then left the cathedral and continued on his journey.

Days later, he returned on the same route. It seemed like the old man was still going at it, so he decided to ask him what he was really doing.

He again went to the monolithic door, opened it and looked inside. To his amazement, there was a big statue of a cherub standing right between the presbytery and the sanctuary, with wings spread out wide open, almost as if in full flight, light shining on it through the stained glass windows, and graced the front of the church.

He could not help it but the next moment he was right next to the old man, with his jaw hanging wide open. He stared with absolute amazement and a puzzled look on his face. He just could not understand how the old man knew that there was an angel in that piece of marble and he could not help but asked him, "Sir, how did you know that there was an angel in that piece of marble?"

The old man turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes and replied: "Son, there is an angel in each and everyone of us. All we need to do is to take a hammer and a chisel and chip away all those little pieces that do not look like an angel."

Moral Of The Story: There is an angel in all of us. Just chip away all those bad pieces that look nothing like an angel and we are all complete, with wings and a halo.

Fern & Bamboo

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"His answer surprised me..."Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said."In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to  the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing it’s roots. Those roots made it strong  and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been  struggling, you have actually been growing roots".

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others."He said.

"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the  forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"I left the forest and brought back this story. 

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you..   Never, Never, Never Give up".