The sermon at church this week was about how saving money is a biblical principle.

“The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” Proverbs 21:20

“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” Proverbs 30:24-25

Ants save up during the abundant times (Summer) and use their savings to survive during the lean times. (Winter)

So imagine my surprise when I got up this morning and found this in my mailbox.


MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8147 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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Ants
=====

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:"

Yesterday on her way out of the house, my wife asked if I could get the ants off the sofa before I left. I replied "of course."

I went into the den expecting to get some paper and kill two maybe three ants. Little did I realize I had to add two zeros behind those numbers; ants were everywhere!

Every time I would clean one sofa cushion another gang of ants would emerge from hiding. Eventually I spent over an hour pulling every cushion off the sofa, cleaning each one twice, then pulling each section of the sofa out vacuuming in between and under each one. At first I couldn't figure out why there were so many ants until I saw what was under the sofa.

Spilled juice, cereal, popcorn, pop tarts, you name it and it was under there. From this day forward the kids will do no more eating on the sofa I told my wife when she got home. Looking at these ants work I saw what the Bible verse meant.

First of all, the ants smelled their goal from the outside and they had no respect for modern architecture nor brick construction, they found a way in.

Second, they didn't care how little they were and how big we were, they simply focused on the food.

Third, they didn't look at how heavy the food was nor how far they had to carry it. All they did was follow the scent in front of them, come and pickup pieces that I would have thought were too big for their bodies and march right back to their home with it.

Ants think Winter all Summer; because they don't know how long Winter will last they gather all Summer.

Ants think Summer all Winter; they know that no matter how cold and long the Winter is, or the first day of Summer they will be out in the sunshine. They understand life is a cycle.
There are times when food is scarce, and there are other times when people have a buffet under the sofa.

An ant not only gathers for itself but for the benefit of its entire colony. It even has two stomachs, one for its own digestion and one for storage to take food back to others.

Next time you go outside, take a minute to stoop down and follow King Solomon's advice and observe the ant.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:"
Proverbs 6:6

~A MountainWings Original~

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#8149 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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Three Proofs that Jesus Was...
==============================

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS JEWISH
He went into his father's business
He lived at home until he was 33
He was sure his Mother was a virgin,
and his Mother was sure he was God

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS IRISH
He never got married
He was always telling stories
He loved green pastures

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS PUERTO RICAN
His first name was Jesus
He was bilingual
He was always being harassed by the authorities

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS ITALIAN
He talked with his hands
He had wine with every meal
He worked in the building trades

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS BLACK
He called everybody "brother"
He liked Gospel
He couldn't get a fair trial

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A CALIFORNIAN
He never cut his hair
He walked around barefoot
He started a new religion

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A WOMAN
He had to feed a crowd, at a moments notice, when there was no food.
He kept trying to get the message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it.
Even dead, he had to get up because there was more work for him to do.

MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8150 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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The More Ignorant
==================

The more ignorant you are,
the quicker you fight.
~Will Rogers~

MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8151 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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The Changed Serenity Prayer
============================

The MountainWings issue, "The Person I Can Fix" moved me to send my version of the serenity prayer.

I was in Alcoholics Anonymous and took on The Serenity Prayer as a daily ritual. After some years I realized that the "things"
that I struggled with were other people!

My version became:

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change.
The courage to change the only person I can, myself.
And the wisdom to know the difference between when it is my problem or their problem.


~ A MountainWings Original by Dane Gravely, Collinsville, VA~


"The Person I Can Fix"
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/5179.htm

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#8152 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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The "Older" Serenity Prayer
============================

In answer to the issue, "The Changed Serenity Prayer"
The "Older" Serenity Prayer


God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, And the eyesight to tell the difference.



The Changed Serenity Prayer
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/8151.htm

MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#4229 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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This edition of MountainWings is available as a spoken version.
Click to Hear > http://www.voicewings.com/4229.wma

THEM!
=====

Them!

It’s a word that I hear so often in counseling.

The other person, the spouse, the boss, the co-worker, the parent, the relative, the company, the government, the system, the President, even God.

It’s always them.

Here’s a quick newsflash: you won’t have much luck changing them, but there is one person who I can absolutely guarantee that you can change who will have a bigger impact on your life than even the President or the government.

It doesn’t matter whether this person is a Republican, Democrat, hypocrite, or even all three, you can change them.

It doesn’t matter what denomination they belong to or even if they have been inside of a church this decade, you can change them.

It doesn’t matter what race or nationality they are, you can change them.

This person has more power and influence over your life than anyone alive or dead, all you have to do is to change them.

When THEY start changing, amazingly you will notice that it will affect people around you; and even if people around you don’t change, it will sure seem like they've changed.

Where can you find this all powerful person in your life?

I can tell you exactly.

Go to the mirror and there THEY will stand.

You need to get to work on THEM right away.


~A MountainWings Original~

Illusions
==========

My brother and I were boarding a flight headed out of the country. "Make two lines," the gate attendant said. We moved from our line to a newly-formed line to our left. As soon as we moved, the other line sped up.

I saw my brother grimace and start to move back to our first line.

I knew what he was thinking:
"If we got in the faster line, we could get on the plane faster."

"It's an illusion," I said. "Look at the line of people behind us." He looked.

"They won't get there any faster or slower than we will.
Neither will the people in front of us. It's an illusion that moving to the front or back of the line will make one bit of difference. Everyone on the plane will get to our destination at exactly the same time," I said.

"Since our seats are assigned, it really doesn't matter how soon or late we board. It's an illusion," I emphasized.

It was a MountainWings Moment.

We often rush through life, thinking that money, things or jockeying for position will really get us somewhere faster.
We think that we will get to joy, fulfillment, and peace faster.
That's really what we want.

I know from experience the odds are that these things won't get us there any faster, if at all.

Not only are these maneuvers an illusion, but they can even cause us to get on the wrong flight headed to the wrong destination.

"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."
~Jesus, Matthew 13:22 NIV~

~A MountainWings Original~

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http://www.mountainwings.com/past/8155.htm

Im not sure how much of an inspiration this is but here goes.

The month before D day I was down my basement and I knelt down to god(never done this before) and said I cant go on like this(I was deep in depression and had a husband who just didnt notice or care) I begged and begged god to please help me I have a son and I want the best for him. I had been going thru this depression for years. and my husband was cheating for years unbenounst to me.
I hit rock bottom. then a month later was D day, My husband accidently left an aol IM on the computer, not the message but the girls screenname was short for her name. I called my husband and he said "wow it took you this long to figure it out, our marriage is over, I love some one else and dont love you anymore"

At the time I spoke to god again and said this is not what i needed what did I do to deserve this. Now nine mos. later I am just beginning to see what he did for me. This man didnt care about me and was making me worse not better. I still love this man but I am just now beginning to see how selfish he really was and is.

Because of A Postcard
======================

I joined the military in 1950. After training, I was sent to France with the first contingent of NATO. Shortly after I arrived, I went into town to buy some postcards. I went into this little shop. The lady there could not speak English nor could I speak French. I pointed at the postcards and she nodded.
She wrote down the amount that the cards I choose would cost and I paid her. Later at the barracks, I looked at the slip and the change she gave me. I thought she gave me back more money than she should have.

I went back the next day and showed her the paper and money and indicated it didn't match. She then printed the amount a little different and it was correct. It was the way they print their numbers that were misunderstood.

Three months later the chaplain invited the small protestant church to a picnic we were having. As I was serving the hotdogs, who walks up but the lady who sold me the postcards.
About five minutes later, I turned the tongs over to someone else and joined her. By this time she could speak some English and I could speak a little French.

Three years later I married her. It was a hard decision for both of us as we had some big obstacles before both of us. She was 13 years older than I, and my parents thought two things.

1. She was robbing the cradle so to speak.
2. She was looking for a free trip to the states.

For her, it was leaving all of her relatives behind and moving 6,000 miles away with the possibility of never seeing them again. In other words, it just wouldn't work.

She had talked with her pastor and I with the chaplain. They told us if we put our trust in the Lord completely and truly love each other, it will work.

I think we proved everyone wrong as we have now been married
54 years and still going strong.

Thanks to our Lord.

~A MountainWings Original by Len Burnand, Castro Valley, CA~


Forward this issue to a friend or send them the link below:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/8162.htm

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MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8177 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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Wisdom From Kids
=================

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents.

Never smart off to a teacher whose eyes and ears are twitching.

Sleep in your clothes so you'll be dressed in the morning.

Never ask for anything that costs more than $5.00 when your parents are doing taxes.

Never tell your mom her diet is not working.

When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone.

Never try to baptize a cat.


~from the sermon, "Calm Down, Relax and Trust God"
http://www.theonlineword.com/mp3/7384.mp3


Forward this issue to a friend or send them the link below:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/8177.htm

I like that Jesus was a woman one... LOL!!

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#8207 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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What Is Love?
==============

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4-to 8-year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." (Rebecca - age 8 )

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
(Billy - age 4 )

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
(Karl - age 5 )

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
(Chrissy - age 6 )

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
(Terri - age 4 )

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
(Danny - age 7)

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss,"
(Emily - age 8)

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." (Bobby - age 7)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate." (Nikka - age 6)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, and then he wears it everyday." (Noelle - age 7)

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
(Tommy - age 6)

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared.
I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." (Cindy - age 8)

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." (Clare - age 6)

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
(Elaine-age 5)

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
(Chris - age 7)

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." (Mary Ann - age 4)

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." (Lauren - age 4)

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
(Karen - age 7)

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." (Mark - age 6)

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it.
But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
(Jessica - age 8)

And the final one to melt anybody's heart: Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."


~Authors Unknown~

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#8247 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
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The Pastor's Donkey
====================

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered in another race and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S [censored] OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in any more races.

The next day the local paper headline read:

BISHOP SCRATCHES THE PASTOR'S [censored].

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news,

Posted the following headline:
NUN HAS THE BEST [censored] IN TOWN.

The Bishop fainted.

He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the headlines read:
NUN SELLS [censored] FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the high plains where it could run free.

The next day the headlines read:
NUN ANNOUNCES HER [censored] IS WILD AND FREE.

Alas ... The Bishop was buried the next day.

MORAL OF THE STORY???
1. Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery and even shorten your life.

2. What makes one person convulse with laughter just sends another into convulsions. Jokes are the most forwarded issues but jokes also get the most complaints.

3. The donkey is usually not at fault for any of it.

MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8295 Wings Over The Mountains of Life



Kids’ Prayers
=========

1. Dear God,
Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter.
There is nothing good in there now.
Amanda



2. Dear God,
Thank you for the baby brother, but what I asked for was a puppy.
I never asked for anything before.
You can look it up.
Joyce



3. Dear Mr. God,
I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come
apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot.
Janet



4. God,
I read the bible.
What does beget mean?
Nobody will tell me.
Love, Alison



5. Dear God,
How did you know you were God?
Who told you?
Charlene



6. Dear God,
Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his golf
words in the house?
Anita



7. Dear God,
I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the
whole world.
There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.
Nancy



8. Dear God,
I like the story about Noah the best of all of them.
You really made up some good ones.
I like walking on water, too.
Glenn



9. Dear God,
My Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy.
How far back do you go?
Love, Dennis



10. Dear God,
Do you draw the lines around the countries?
If you don't, who does?
Nathan



11. Dear God,
Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an
accident?
Norma



12. Dear God,
In Bible times, did they really talk that fancy?
Jennifer



13. Dear God,
How come you did all those miracles in the old days and don't do
any now?
Billy



14. Dear God,
Please send Dennis Clark to a different summer camp this year.
Peter



15. Dear God,
Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they
each had their own rooms.
It works out OK with me and my brother.
Larry



16. Dear God,
I keep waiting for spring, but it never did come yet.
What's up? Don't forget.
Mark



17. Dear God,
My brother told me about how you were born,
but it just doesn't sound right.
What do you say?
Marsha



18. Dear God,
If you watch in church on Sunday,
I will show you my new shoes.
Barbara



19. Dear God,
Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours,
or do you just know him through the business?
Donny



20. Dear God,
I do not think anybody could be a better God than you.
Well, I just want you to know that.
I am not just saying that because you are already God.
Charles



21. Dear God,
It is great the way you always get the stars in the right place.
Why can't you do that with the moon?
Jeff



22. Dear God,
I am doing the best I can.
Really !!!!
Frank



23. Dear God,
I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset
you made on Tuesday night.
That was really cool.
Thomas


Forward this issue to a friend or send them the link below:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/8296.htm