FINDING TRUE LOVE

An old woman sat on the antique rattan rocking chair.  Her eyeglasses were perched precariously on her nose as she concentrated on her sewing chores.  A gentle breeze swept the wisp of whitish hair on her temples.

Beside her sat her teen-age granddaughter.  She was like a fresh flower recently bloomed.  Without warning she suddenly blurted out. "Grandma, why is true love so difficult to find?"

The old woman with a kindly face stopped sewing and touched her granddaughter's head affectionately.  After a moment, the young girl cuddled closer resting her head on the old woman's lap. "Listen and I will tell you why,"  began the grandmother.

"Many centuries ago, when the world was young, true love existed everywhere.  It was available for asking.  Because of this, men and women took true love for granted, so God decided to keep true love." She stopped and smiled as she gently stroke the young girl's soft tresses.

"God asked a pair of angels to keep true love.  First, they buried true love in the ground.  But man and woman easily dug it out.  Next, the angels took true love to the highest mountains.  But again man and woman easily climbed to the top.  Then the angels submerged true love into the deepest sea.  Man and woman swam to the bottom of the body of water and with ease retrieved true love."

"So true love is easy to find,"  commented the young girl.

"For man and woman will dig, climb and, swim."

"Yes, but finally the angels kept true love in the hearts of man and woman.  Since then people have had difficulty searching for true love. For they look everywhere except in the one place that should keep it - the heart."

The most beautiful things in the world can neither be seen nor touched, it must be felt with the heart || Helen Keller

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

Some of you on my list are too young to know any of these experiences. Some may even think they are boring. But those of us who had these experiences remember them as times of joy. It was so much easier to have fun. I certainly had some rough times when I was young, but I am thankful for the 'good o days'.



If you are old enough...take a stroll with me

...close your eyes...and go back...before the Internet

...before semiautomatics and crack...before SEGA

or Super Nintendo...way back...



I'm talkin' bout hide and go seek at dusk. Sittin' on the porch, Simon Says, Kick the Can, Red light -Green light. Lunch boxes with a thermos, chocolate milk, going home for lunch, penny candy from the store, hopscotch, butterscotch, skates with keys, Jacks, Mother May I? Hula Hoops and sunflower seeds, Whist and Old Maid and Crazy Eights, wax lips and

mustaches, Mary Janes, saddle shoes and Coke bottles with the names of cities on the bottom, running through the sprinkler, circle pins, bobby pins, Mickey Mouse Club, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Fran & Ollie, Spin & Marty ... all in black & white.



When around the corner seemed far away, and going downtown seemed like going somewhere. Bedtime, climbing trees, making forts ... backyard shows, lemonade stands, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, sittin' on the curb, staring at clouds, jumping down the steps, jumping on the bed, pillow fights, getting "company," ribbon candy, angel hair on

the Christmas tree, Jackie Gleason, white gloves, walking to church, walking to the movie theater, being tickled to death, running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt, being tired from playin' ... Remember that?



Not steppin' on a crack or you'll break your mother's back ... paper chains at Christmas, silhouettes of Lincoln and Washington ... the smell of paste in school and Evening in Paris.



What about the girl that had the big bubbly handwriting, who dotted her "i's" with hearts? The Stroll, popcorn balls, & sock hops ...



Remember when ... there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyer) and the only time you wore them at school was for "gym." And the girls had those ugly uniforms.



When it took five minutes for the TV to warm up. When nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school. When nobody owned a purebred dog.



When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter, a huge bonus. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then. When your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces. When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday and wore high heels.



When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time. And, you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot! When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.



When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents. When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed ... and did!



When the worst thing you could do at school was smoke in the bathrooms, flunk a test or chew gum. And the prom was in the auditorium and we danced to an orchestra, and all the girls wore pastel gowns and the boys wore suits for the first time and we stayed out all night.



When a '57 Chevy was everyone's dream car ... to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady and girls wore a class ring with an inch of wrapped dental floss or yarn coated with pastel frost nail polish so it would fit her finger.



And no one ever asked where the car keys were 'cause they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked. And you got in big trouble if you accidentally locked the doors at home, since no one ever had a key.



Remember lying on your back on the grass with your friends and saying things like "That cloud looks like a... " And playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game. Back then, baseball was not a psychological group learning experience - it was a game!



Remember when stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals 'cause no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger. And... with all our progress... don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace ...and share it with the children of today...



So send this on to someone who can still remember Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Howdy Doody and The Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk ..as well as the sound of a reel mower on Saturday morning, and summers filled with bike rides, playing in cowboy land, baseball games, bowling andvisits to the pool ... and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.



When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we all survived because their love was greater than the threat.



Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!"

BUYING A DIAMOND

A rich Dutch merchant was seeking to buy a diamond of a certain kind to add to his collection. A famous dealer in New York found such a stone and called him to come and see it. The merchant flew immediately to New York, where the seller had assigned his best diamond expert to close the transaction. After hearing the assistant describe in perfect technical detail the diamond's worth and beauty, the Dutchman decided not to buy it. Before he left, however, the owner of the store stepped forward and asked, "Do you mind if I show you that stone once more?" The customer agreed.

The store owner didn't repeat one thing that the salesman had said. He simply took the stone in his hand, stared at it, and described the beauty of the stone in a way that revealed why this stone stood out from all the others he had seen in his life. The customer bought it immediately.

Tucking his new purchase into his breast pocket, the customer commented to the owner, "Sir, I wonder why you were able to sell me this stone when your salesman could not?" The owner replied, "That salesman is the best in the business. He knows more about diamonds than anyone, including myself, and I pay him a large salary for his

knowledge and expertise. But I would gladly pay him twice as much if I could put into him something I have which he lacks. You see, he knows diamonds, but I love them."

God is not interested in how much we know but in how much we love. When we truly love Jesus, we love others as well, and that is how the good news of the Gospel is spread.

ENJOY THE MOMENT

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue- wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician.



His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion.”



I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.



I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings.



Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.



I'm not sure what my sister would've done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing---I'll never know.



It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with - someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband often enough how much I truly love him. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.



You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and love like it's never going to hurt....



People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there.

YOU ARE HERE TO ENRICH THE WORLD

"We pray for the children who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.



We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money. And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.



We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed, who never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.



And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being. We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, who we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother and...for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it."

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there... to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.



And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower or heart.



Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck.



Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity..... all occurs to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.



The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.



If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart to.



If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.



Make every day count.



Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.



Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen.

Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high.

Hold your head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you.



Create your own life and then go out and live it....

CAN I SEE MY BABY?

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.



The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak."



He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.



The boy's father had a session with the family physician..."Could nothing be done?" "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured" the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.



Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret," said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.



Later he married and led the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her." "I do not believe you could, "said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet." The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they"?



REMEMBER...



Real treasure lies not in what can be seen, but what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known. Love sometimes no need to say much.



Read the following, it's meaningful If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the lost for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family, an unwise investment indeed.



FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER,

(I) (L)OVE (Y) OU

GOODBYE PEACE LETTER

Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the Surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: "How is my little boy? Is he going to be O.K.? When can I see him?"



The Surgeon said, "I'm sorry, we did all we could."



Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer, doesn't GOD care anymore? GOD, where were you when my son needed you?"



The Surgeon said, "One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes to let you spend time with your son's remains before it's transported to the university".



Sally asked that the nurse stay with her while she said Good-bye to her son. Sally ran her fingers through his thick red curly hair.



The nurse said, "Would you like a lock of his hair?"



Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of his hair and put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.



Sally said, "It was Jimmy's idea to give his body to the University for study. He said it might help somebody else," and that is what he wanted.



I said, No at first, but Jimmy said, "Mom I won't be using it after I die, maybe it will help some other little boy to be able to spend one more day with his mother".



Sally said, "My Jimmy had a heart of Gold, always thinking of someone else and always wanting to help others if he could".



Sally walked out of the Children's Hospital for the last time now after spending most of the last 6 months there. She sat the bag with Jimmy's things in it on the seat beside of her in the car. The drive home was hard and it was even harder to go into an empty house.



She took the bag to Jimmy's room and started placing the model cars and things back in his room exactly where he always kept them.



She laid down across his bed and cried herself to sleep holding his pillow.



Sally woke up about midnight and laying beside of her on the bed, was a letter folded up.



She opened the letter, it said...



I know your going to miss me, but don't think that I will ever forget you or stop loving you because I'm not around to say I LOVE YOU.



I'll think of you every day mom and I'll love you even more each day.



Some day we will see each other again.



If you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, he can have my room and my old stuff to play with.



If you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things as us boys do, so you will have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like.



Don't be sad when you think about me, this is really a great place.



Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything here.



The angels are so friendly, I love to watch them fly. Jesus doesn't look like any of the pictures I saw of Him, but I knew it was Him as soon as I saw Him. Jesus took me to see GOD! And guess what mom? I got to sit on GOD'S knee and talk to Him like I was somebody important. I told GOD that I wanted to write you a letter and tell you Good-bye and everything, but I knew that wasn't allowed.



God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter with. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel that is going to drop this letter off to you.



God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him about.



Where was He when I needed him? God said, "The same place He was when Jesus was on the Cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.



Oh, by the way Mom, nobody else can see what is written on this paper but you. To everyone else, it looks like a blank piece of paper.



I have to give God His pen back now, he has some more names to write in the Book Of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for Supper. I'm sure the food will be great.



I almost forgot to let you know - Now I don't hurt anymore, the cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me suffer the pain either, so He sent The Angel of Mercy to get me.



The Angel said I was Special Delivery!



Signed with love from: God and Jesus and Me.

MY BUSY DAY

"Mommy, look!" cried my daughter, Darla, pointing to a chicken hawk soaring through the air.



"Uh huh," I murmured, driving, lost in thought about the tight schedule of my Day.



Disappointment filled her face. "What's the matter, Sweetheart?" I asked, entirely dense.



"Nothing," my seven-year-old said. The moment was gone. Near home, we slowed to search for the albino deer that comes out from behind the thick mass of trees in the early evening. She was nowhere to be seen. "Tonight, she has too many things to do," I said.



Dinner, baths and phone calls filled the hours until bedtime.



"Come on, Darla, time for bed!" She raced past me up the stairs. Tired, I kissed her on the cheek, said prayers and tucked her in.



"Mom, I forgot to give you something!" she said. My patience was gone.



"Give it to me in the morning," I said, but she shook her head.



"You won't have time in the morning!" she retorted.



"I'll take time," I answered defensively. Sometimes no matter how hard I tried, time flowed through my fingers like sand in an hourglass, never enough. Not enough for her, for my husband, and definitely not enough for me.



She wasn't ready to give up yet. She wrinkled her freckled little nose in anger and swiped away her chestnut brown hair.



"No, you won't! It will be just like today when I told you to look at the hawk. You didn't even listen to what I said."



I was too weary to argue; she hit too close to the truth. "Good night!" I shut her door with a resounding thud.



Later though, her gray-blue gaze filled my vision as I thought about how little time we really had until she was grown and gone.



My husband asked, "Why so glum?" I told him.



"Maybe she's not asleep yet. Why don't you check," he said with all the authority of a parent in the right. I followed his advice, wishing it was my own idea.



I cracked open her door, and the light from the window spilled over her sleeping form. In her hand I could see the remains of a crumpled paper. Slowly I opened her palm to see what the item of our disagreement had been.



Tears filled my eyes. She had torn into small pieces a big red heart with a poem she had written titled, "Why I Love My Mother!"



I carefully removed the tattered pieces. Once the puzzle was put back into place, I read what she had written:



Why I Love My Mother



Although you're busy, and you work so hard You always take time to play I love you Mommy because I am the biggest part of your busy day!



The words were an arrow straight to the heart. At seven years old, she had the wisdom of Solomon.



Ten minutes later I carried a tray to her room, with two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows and two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When I softly touched her smooth cheek, I could feel my heart burst with love.



Her thick dark lashes lay like fans against her lids as they fluttered, awakened from a dreamless sleep, and she looked at the tray.



"What is that for?" she asked, confused by this late-night intrusion.



"This is for you, because you are the most important part of my busy day!" She smiled and sleepily drank half her cup of chocolate. Then she drifted back to sleep, not really understanding how strongly I meant what I said.

THE NECKLACE

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.



Oh mommy, please, Mommy, can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.



"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."



As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.



Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere; Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.



Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.



About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll, the brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.



A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you."



With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.



So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't God good? Are you holding on to things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing.... 



God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

DEAD DUCKS DON'T FLUTTER

Many years ago, a wealthy man went duck hunting with a hired hand named Sam.They took a horse and carriage, and along the way a rim came off one of the wheels. As Sam hammered it back on, he accidentally hit his finger. Instantly he let go with some bad words. He quickly fell to his knees, asking God’s forgiveness. “Lord, it’s difficult at times to live the Christian life”, he prayed. “Sam” said the man, “I know you’re a Christian, but tell me why you struggle so, I’m an atheist, and I don’t have problems like that.”

Sam didn’t know what to say. Just then two ducks flew overhead. The man raised his gun and two shots rang out. “Leave the dead one and go after that wounded bird!” he shouted. Sam pointed at the duck that was fluttering desperately to escape and said, “I’ve got an answer for you now, Boss. You said my Christianity isn’t any good because I have to struggle so. Well, I’m the wounded duck, and struggle to get away from the devil. But you Boss, you’re the dead duck!”

That insight fits Paul’s description of his Christian experience in Romans 7: 14-25. Struggle is one evidence of God’s work in our lives Forgiveness of sin is available, so don’t despair. Remember, dead ducks don’t flutter.



–Dennis De Hann

Struggle, yes, it’s part of living

Nothing’s gained on beds of ease;

But when our heart is set on Jesus,

Struggle drives us to our knees.



–D. De Hann



If Jesus lives within us,

Sin need not overwhelm us.





From Our Daily Bread

LIFE'S TUG-OF-WAR

Life can seem ungrateful ~ and not always kind...

Life can pull at your heartstrings ~ and play with your mind....



Life can be blissful ~ and happy and free...

Life can put beauty ~ in the things that you see...



Life can place challenges ~ right at your feet...

Life can make good ~ of the hardships we meet...



Life can overwhelm you ~ and make your head spin...

Life can reward those ~ determined to win...



Life can be hurtful ~ and not always fair...

Life can surround you ~ with people who care...



Life clearly does offer ~ its Up and its Downs...

Life's days can bring you ~ both smiles and frowns...



Life teaches us to take ~ the good with the bad...

Life is a mixture ~ of happy and sad...



SO...



Take the Life that you have ~ and give it your best...

Think positive, be happy ~ let God do the rest...



Take the challenges that life ~ has layed at your feet...

Take pride and be thankful ~ for each one you meet...



To yourself give forgiveness ~ if you stumble and fall...

Take each day that is dealt you ~ and give it your all...



Take the love that you're given ~ and return it with care...

Have faith that when needed ~ it will always be there...



Take time to find the beauty ~ in the things that you see...

Take life's simple pleasures ~ let them set your heart free...



The idea here is simply ~ to even the score...

As you are met and faced with ~ Life's Tug of War

THE TATTOOED STRANGER

He was kind of scary. He sat there on the grass with his cardboard sign, his adorable dog and tattoos running up and down both arms an even on his neck. His sign proclaimed him to be "stuck and hungry" and to please help.



I'm such a soft touch for anyone needing help. My husband both hates and loves this quality in me.



I pulled the van over and in my rear-view mirror contemplated this man, tattoos and all. He was youngish, maybe forty. He wore one of those bandannas ties over his head, biker/pirate style. Anyone could see he was dirty and had a scraggly beard. But if you looked closer you could see that he had neatly tucked in the black T-shirt, and his things were in a small, tidy bundle. Nobody was stopping for him. I could see the other drivers take one look and immediately focus on something else — anything else.



It was so hot out. I could see in the man's very blue eyes how dejected and tired and worn out he felt. The sweat was tricking down his face. As I sat with the air- conditioning blowing, the Scripture suddenly popped into my head. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, so ye have done it unto me."



I reached down into my purse and extracted a $10 bill. My 12-year-old son, Nick, knew right away what I was doing. "Can I take it to him, Mom?"



"Be careful, honey," I warned and handed him the money. I watched in the mirror as he rushed over to the man, and with a shy smile, handed it to him. I saw the man, startled, stand and take the money, putting it into his back pocket. "Good," I thought to myself, "now he will at least have a hot meal tonight." I felt satisfied, proud of myself. I had made a sacrifice and now I could go on with my errands.



When Nick got back into the car, he looked at me with sad, pleading eyes. "Mom, his dog looks so hot and the man is really nice." I knew I had to do more.



"Go back and tell him to stay there, that we will be back in 15 minutes," I told Nick. He bounded out of the van and ran to tell the tattooed stranger.



We then ran to the nearest store and bought our gifts carefully. "It can't be too heavy," I explained to the children. "He has to be able to carry it around with him." We finally settled on our purchases. A bag of dog food, a flavored chew toy shaped like a bone, some doggie snacks, two bottles of water (one for him and one for the dog), a water dish and some people snacks for the man.



We rushed back to the spot where we had left him and there he was, still waiting. And still nobody else had stopped for him. With hands shaking, I grabbed our bags and climbed out of the car, all 4 of my children following me, each carrying gifts. As we walked up to him, I had a fleeting moment of fear, hoping he wasn't a serial killer.



I looked into his eyes and saw something that startled me and made me ashamed of my judgment. I saw tears. He was fighting like a little boy to hold back his tears. How long had it been since someone showed this man kindness? I told him I hoped it wasn't too heavy for him to carry and showed him what we had bought. He just stood there, like a child at Christmas, and I felt like my small contributions were so inadequate. When I took out the water dish, he snatched it out of my hands as if it were solid gold and told me he had had no way to give his dog water. He gingerly set it down, filled it with the bottled water we brought, and stood up to look directly into my eyes. His were so blue, so intense, and my own filled with tears as he said, "Ma'am, I don't know what to say." He then put both hands on his bandanna-clad head and just started to cry. This man, this "scary" man, was so gentle, so sweet, so humble.



I smiled through my tears and said, "Don't say anything." Then I noticed the tattoo on his neck. It said, "Mama tried."



As we all piled into the van and drove away, he was on his knees, arms around his dog, kissing his nose and smiling. I waved cheerfully and then finally broke down in tears.



I have so much. My worries seem so trivial and petty now. I have a home, a loving husband and four beautiful children. I have a bed. I wondered where he would sleep tonight.



My stepdaughter Brandie turned to me and said in the sweetest little-girl voice, "I feel so good."



Although it seemed as if we had helped him, the man with the tattoos gave us a gift that I will never forget. He taught that no matter what the outside looks like, inside each of us is a human being deserving of kindness, of compassion, of acceptance. He opened his heart.



Tonight and every night I will pray for the gentle man with the tattoos and his dog. And I will hope that God will send more people like him into my life to remind me what's really important.



If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17

GOD, JESUS & ME

Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the Surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: "How is my little boy? Is he going to be O.K.? When can I see him?"

The Surgeon said, "I'm sorry, we did all we could." Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't GOD care any more? GOD, where were you when my son needed you?" 

The Surgeon said, "One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes to let you spend time with your son's remains before it's transported to the university." Sally asked that the nurse stay with her while she said good-bye to her son. 

Sally ran her fingers through his thick red curly hair. The nurse said, "Would you like a lock of his hair?" Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of his hair and put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally. Sally said, "It was Jimmy's idea to give his body to the university for study. He said it might help somebody else," and that is what he wanted. 

I said no at first, but Jimmy said, "Mom I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy to be able to spend one more day with his mother." Sally said, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold, always thinking of someone else and always wanting to help others if he could." 

Sally walked out of the children's hospital for the last time now after spending most of the last 6 months there. She sat the bag with Jimmy's things in it on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was hard and it was even harder to go into an empty house. 

She took the bag to Jimmy's room and started placing the model cars and things back in his room exactly where he always kept them. She laid down across his bed and cried herself to sleep holding his pillow. 

Sally woke up about midnight, and laying beside her on the bed was a letter folded up. She opened the letter and it said: 

Dear Mom,

I know your going to miss me, but don't think that I will ever forget you or stop loving you because I'm not around to say I LOVE YOU. I'll think of you every day mom, and I'll love you even more each day. Some day we will see each other again. 

If you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, he can have my room and my old stuff to play with. If you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things as us boys do, so you will have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like. 

Don't be sad when you think about me. This is really a great place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything here. The angels are so friendly and I love to watch them fly. 

Jesus doesn't look like any of the pictures I saw of Him, but I knew it was Him as soon as I saw Him. He took me to see GOD! And guess what mom? I got to sit on GOD'S knee and talk to Him like I was somebody important. I told GOD that I wanted to write you a letter and tell you good-bye and everything, but I knew that wasn't allowed. 

God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter with. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel that is going to drop this letter off to you.

God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him about - where was He when I needed him? God said, "The same place He was when Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. "

Oh, by the way Mom, nobody else can see what is written on this paper but you. To everyone else, it looks like a blank piece of paper. 

I have to give God His pen back now. He has some more names to write in the Book Of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for Supper. I'm sure the food will be great. 

I almost forgot to let you know - Now I don't hurt anymore and the cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore. And God couldn't stand to see me suffer the pain either, so He sent The Angel of Mercy to get me. The Angel said I was Special Delivery! 

Signed with love from:

God, Jesus and Me

THE MISSING RIB

A girl in love asked her boyfriend: "Tell me, who do you love most in this world?" 

 

"You, of course!" 

"In your heart, what am I to you?" 

The boy thought for a moment and looked intently in her eyes and said, "You are my rib. In the Bible, it was said that God saw that Adam was lonely. During his sleep, God took one of Adam's rib and created Eve. Every man has been searching for his missing rib. Only when you find the woman of your life will you no longer feel the lingering ache in your heart." 

After their wedding, the couple had a sweet and happy life for a while. However, the youthful couple began to drift apart due to the busy schedule of life and the never-ending worries of daily problems. Their life became mundane. All the challenges posed by the harsh realities of life began to gnaw away at their dreams and love for each other. The couple began to have more quarrels, and each quarrel became more heated. 

One day, after a quarrel, the girl ran out of the house. At the opposite side of the road, she shouted, "You don't love me!" The boy hated her childishness, and out of impulse retorted, "Maybe it was a mistake for us to be together! You were never my missing rib!" 

Suddenly, she turned quiet and stood there for a long while. He regretted what he said, but words spoken are like thrown away water - you can never take them back. With tears, she went home to pack her things and was determined on breaking up. 

Before she left the house, the girl said, "If I'm really not your missing rib, then please let me go." She continued, "It is less painful this way. Let us go on our separate ways and search for our own partners." 

Five years went by. He never remarried but he had tried to find out about her life indirectly. She had left the country and came back. She had married a foreigner and divorced. He felt anguished that she never waited for him. In the dark and lonely night, he lit his cigarette and felt the lingering ache in his heart. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he was missing her. 

One day they finally met - at the airport - a place where there were many reunions and good-byes. He was going away on a business trip. She was standing there alone, with just the security door separating them. She smiled at him gently.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. How about you. Have you found your missing rib?"

"No."

"I'll be flying to New York on the next flight."

"I'll be back in 2 weeks time."

"Give me a call when you get back. You know my number. Nothing has changed."

With a smile, she turned around and waved good-bye.

One week later, he heard of her death. She had perished in New York - in the event that shocked the world.

 

Midnight.. And like before, he felt the lingering ache in his heart. He finally knew that she was the missing rib that he had so carelessly broken.

~~~~~~~

Sometimes people say things out of moments of fury. Most often than not, the outcome could be disastrous and detrimental. We vent our frustrations 99% at our loved ones. And even though we know that we ought to "think twice and act wisely," it's often easier said than done. 

Things happen each day, many of which are beyond our control. Let us treasure every moment and everyone in our lives. Tomorrow may never come. Give and accept what you have today. 

"Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains" Emilie Cady