Need a pick me up? Need something to inspire you? Feeling like there’s no hope? Well then you’re in the right place...
A place to be inspired and AMAZED... (Yes it’s a pun... and yes... it’s ok to laugh...) This thread is for those bleak days when you’re feeling hopeless.
I stole this idea from ForeverHers. He has a link in his signature line to an archived thread that has inspirational stories in it. The thread name was:
Timely stories for days when things seem bleak. I know that thread meant a lot to me and I’d like to continue that tradition for everyone here who’s having a rough day.
Alot of the stories have come from
http://www.mountainwings.com/
LUCY
=====
When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left devastated. Afterward, all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me.
A young woman stood in front of a totally demolished mobile home, an anguished expression twisting her features.
A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downcast. Clutching at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that accompanied the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves.
I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator, explaining their plight to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three-year-old Meghan.
"We have so much, and these poor people now have nothing,"
I said. "We'll share what we have with them."
I brought three large boxes down from the attic and placed them on the living room floor. Meghan watched solemnly as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and other nonperishable foods, soap and other assorted toiletries.
While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games.
"I'll help you find something for the little girl when I'm done with this," I said.
The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes.
Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, frazzled, much- loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest.
She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy's flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys.
"Oh, Honey," I said. "You don't have to give Lucy.
You love her so much."
Meghan nodded solemnly, eyes glistening with held-back tears.
"Lucy makes me happy, Mommy.
Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy, too."
Swallowing hard, I stared at Meghan for a long moment, wondering how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me.
For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you cherish most.
Honest benevolence is a three-year-old offering a treasured, albeit shabby doll to a little girl she doesn't know with the hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it brought her.
I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught.
The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy.
A slow smile spread across Brett's face, then he jumped up, eyes twinkling as he ran to retrieve some of his prized Matchbox cars.
Amazed, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little Meghan's gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all three of them into my arms.
Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old tan jacket with the frayed cuffs from the box of clothes. I replaced it with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as much as I did.
It's easy to give that which we don't want anymore but harder to let go of something that we cherish isn't it?
~Author Unknown~
I'll certainly pocket this away.
Why My Lips Stayed Chapped On Mother's Day
=============================
So, we had this great cat named Jack and the kids would carry
him around and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out
and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.
Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4
years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli.
Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my
chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him
where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use
it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in
the drawer when he was done.
Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush
around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and
carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the
cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time
I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone
has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and
the amazing job that is motherhood.
We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and
I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally
round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli.
He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . .
rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped."
Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little
butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to
mind.
And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it
was the 1st time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the
hundredth.
And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it
reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these
glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when
you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.
The Alley
=============
Diane, a young university student, was home for the summer.
She had gone to visit some friends and time passed quickly as
each shared their various experiences of the past year.
She ended up staying longer than planned and had to walk home
alone. It was dark, but she wasn't afraid because it was a small
town and she lived only a few blocks away.
As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked
"God" to keep her safe from harm and danger.
When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house,
she decided to take it; however, halfway down the alley she
noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting
for her. She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for
"God's" protection.
Instantly, a comforting feeling of quietness and security
wrapped around her; she felt as though someone was walking with
her. When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right
past the man and arrived home safely.
The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl
had been raped in the same alley, just twenty minutes after she
had been there.
Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could
have been her, she began to weep. She thanked the Lord for her
safety. To help this young woman, she decided to go to the
police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she
told them her story.
The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup
to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately
pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.
When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately
broke down and confessed. The officer thanked Diane for her
bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her.
She asked if they would ask the man one question.
Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.
When the policeman asked him, he answered,
"Because she wasn't alone.
She had two tall men walking on either side of her."
_____________________________________________
Do you have dark alleys that you have to walk?
Do you see fearful and threatening things ahead?
Does it make you afraid to think of tackling them alone?
Never underestimate the power of Prayer. . .
RSL?
====
Are you a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?
Pay attention to what you read. After you read this, you will
know the reason it was sent to you!
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a
lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know
what to do for each person.
REASON:
When someone is in your life for a REASON. . .
It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come
to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance
and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for
the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring
the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered.
And now it is time to move on.
SEASON:
When people come into your life for a SEASON it is because your
turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an
experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you
something you have never done. They usually give you an
unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real!
But, only for a season.
LIFETIME:
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you
must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what
you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of
your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life.
Stop here and just SMILE.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
And dance like no one is watching.
~Author Unknown~
What Do You Value Most?
========================
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy
next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.
College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.
In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his
wife and son.
He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his
childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him, he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time
teaching me things he thought were important.
Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown.
Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.
The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture...
Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said.
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside.
All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the
Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said.
"I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox.
"Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.
The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.
The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.
"Mr. Harold Belser" it read.
Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.
There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.
It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter.
His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing,
he unlatched the cover.
Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most...was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.
"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
~Author Unknown~
Love Island
============
Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings
lived; happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others,
including love.
One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island
was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.
Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve
the island paradise until the last possible moment.
When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was
time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help.
Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked,
"Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?"
Richness answered, " I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and
gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."
Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a
beautiful vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please."
"I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will
damage my beautiful boat."
Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, "Sadness, please
let me go with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I
just need to be alone now."
Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, " Happiness, please
take me with you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he
didn't hear Love calling to him.
Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love,
I will take you with me." It was an elder.
Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the
elder his name.
When they arrived on land the elder went on his way.
Love realized how much she owed the elder.
Love then found Knowledge and asked,
"Who was it that helped me?"
"It was Time", Knowledge answered.
"But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love asked.
Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered,
"Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."
Author Unknown
The Father
===========
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's
pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and before he
gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest
minister who was in the service that evening.
In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the
guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that
he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and
share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.
With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to
speak.
"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the
Pacific coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked
any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high,
that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could
not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the
ocean as the boat capsized."
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two
teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began,
looking somewhat interested in his story.
The aged minister continued with his story, "grabbing a rescue
line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of
his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life
line. He only had seconds to make the decision.
The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew
that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could
not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled
out, 'I love you, son!' he threw out the life line to his son's
friend.
By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the
capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells
into the black of night. His body was never recovered."
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the
pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old
minister's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son
would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the
thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without
Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's
friend. How great is the love of God that he should do the same
for us.
Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we
could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you
and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in
this service."
With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as
silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the
pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the
end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes
after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's
side.
"That was a nice story," politely stated one of the boys, "but I
don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his
only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a
Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied,
glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his
narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "it
sure isn't very realistic, is it?
But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a
glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his
son for me.
You see ---
I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."
Amazin....
You a amazin...(hows that for puns.....). You are such a good guy and remember, good guys do NOT finish last.....
I'm gonna go to your thread and check up on ya. I have been following things, but haven't chatted much with ya....
N2F
Thanks JJ.
Hope you like this thread...
The Power of Manual Labor
==========================
"People underestimate the benefit of good old manual labor.
There's freedom in it.
Some of the happiest people in the world go home smelling to high heaven at the end of the day."
~God (Played by Morgan Freeman from the movie, "Bruce Almighty")~
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. (Eccl 5:12 NKJV)
Click below to hear the two minute audio excerpt from the movie "Bruce Almighty" >
http://www.voicewings.com/4222.wma
Amazin - I'm glad you found some helpful things in my old thread.
I would ask, though, that if you are going to quote stories from that thread that you quote the entire post including the information about where it came from (i.e. Mountain Wings) to give "credit where credit is due." I didn't make those stories up, but I found them helpful and posted them because I thought, as you have, that they might also be helpful to others.
If they ever get around to fixing those broken links I will likely "bump" the thread to bring it current and perhaps even add a new story or two.
I also have the entire thread saved and could "repost" it if they can't get the links fixed. There are a lot of very good "old" threads out there that may be, sadly, temporarily out of reach to a lot of newer members. I really hope they can get the Search function to go back beyond just 2 years soon.
In the meantime, I hope you get a lot of new "offerings" on this thread as others chime in with things that they may have found helpful to them too.
God bless.
P.S. the actual thread name was "Timely story...." not stories. I always meant to go back and amend the title since the thread grew beyond my original post. It is a bit confusing to have "story" instead of "stories" in the title of a thread that actually wound up have several stories in it.
I tried to give credit where credit was due... I said up front that I stole the idea from you...
But you are right...Mountain wings and your thread is where I got the stories... I just didn't post mountain wings because I wasn't sure if promoting another web site was against the rules...
And... anything that is inspirational or uplifting should be welcome here... It doesn't matter to me where it comes from..
I know that your thread meant alot to me and I hope that you would chime in and add to this one and bump yours up...
P.S. the actual thread name was "Timely story...." not stories
I know... the english just didn't sound right so I added the plural...
OK... I edited the opening post and added a link to mountainwings.com....
If anyone has an inspirational story feel free to post it here.
I know there are days when people are in need of a pick-me-up, that was the reason I started this thread...
The idea is to life each other up by sharing inspirational stories here... Not just one person posting everything...
Something perhaps for each spouse to think about...what can we give to our spouse that we are "holding onto"?
-------------------------------------------------
MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8137 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------
LUCY
=====
When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby,
many families were left devastated. Afterward, all the local
newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of
the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me.
A young woman stood in front of a totally demolished mobile home,
an anguished expression twisting her features.
A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side,
eyes downcast. Clutching at her skirt was a tiny girl who
stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that accompanied the picture gave the clothing
sizes of each family member. With growing interest,
I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would
be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those
less fortunate than themselves.
I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator,
explaining their plight to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and
Brett, and to three-year-old Meghan.
"We have so much, and these poor people now have nothing,"
I said. "We'll share what we have with them."
I brought three large boxes down from the attic and placed them
on the living room floor. Meghan watched solemnly as the boys
and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and other
nonperishable foods, soap and other assorted toiletries.
While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go
through their toys and donate some of their less favorite
things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded
toys and games.
"I'll help you find something for the little girl when I'm done
with this," I said.
The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of
the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes.
Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, frazzled, much-
loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest.
She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her
round little face into Lucy's flat, painted-on-face, gave her a
final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys.
"Oh, Honey," I said. "You don't have to give Lucy.
You love her so much."
Meghan nodded solemnly, eyes glistening with held-back tears.
"Lucy makes me happy, Mommy.
Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy, too."
Swallowing hard, I stared at Meghan for a long moment, wondering
how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me.
For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs
away. True generosity is giving that which you cherish most.
Honest benevolence is a three-year-old offering a treasured,
albeit shabby doll to a little girl she doesn't know with the
hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it
brought her.
I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught.
The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed
her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and
went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite
action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then
looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy.
A slow smile spread across Brett's face, then he jumped up, eyes
twinkling as he ran to retrieve some of his prized Matchbox
cars.
Amazed, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little
Meghan's gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all
three of them into my arms.
Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old tan jacket
with the frayed cuffs from the box of clothes. I replaced it
with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last
week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as
much as I did.
It's easy to give that which we don't want anymore but harder to
let go of something that we cherish isn't it?
~Author Unknown~
MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#4223 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------
I Can See Clearly Now
=====================
Over the past few years my husband has developed a hearing problem. This has been a source of irritation for both of us.
It has been hard for me to get used to raising my voice and repeating everything. I have also found it aggravating to put up with his obvious anger.
However, a few days ago I had an experience that changed my view completely.
I was having lunch in a crowded cafe with a few friends.
Comments were passed back and forth and I could not hear what was being said.
For an instant I felt an overwhelming sense of exasperation and yes... anger.
Then, in a flash, I understood my husband's feelings.
It really was a MountainWings Moment.
When I got home, I apologized to him for my lack of understanding and promised to make a greater effort to speak more clearly in the future.
~A MountainWings Original by Leone McNichol, Canada~
MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8140 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------
A Letter From...
================
I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores.
You awoke without kneeling to pray.
As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful; I like that about you.
I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living. Fool, you are mine.
Remember, you and I have been going steady for years and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you because I hate God.
I am only using you to get even with God.
He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay him back. You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you.
But you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way, we'll be together twice.
This will really hurt God.
Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we've had.
We have been watching dirty movies,
cursing people out,
stealing,
lying,
being hypocritical,
fornicating,
overeating,
telling dirty jokes,
gossiping,
being judgmental,
back stabbing people,
disrespecting adults
and those in leadership positions,
no respect for the Church,
bad attitudes.
SURELY you don't want to give all this up.
Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever.
I've got some hot plans for us.
This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life.
You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA! HA! HA! You make me sick.
Sin is beginning to take it's toll on your life.
You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood.
So go ahead and teach some children how to sin.
All you have to do is smoke,
get drunk or drink while under-aged,
cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate,
and live being as selfish as possible.
Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.
Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess you sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left.
It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong, I still hate you.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.
P.S. If you really love me, you won't share this letter with anyone.
SATAN
MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8141 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------
The Nanny's Sleep
==================
The nanny had seen the effect it had on the kids. Usually very rambunctious, when they listened to the CD they quieted down and were soon asleep.
"I've heard everyone talk about this CD. I want to try it to see if it really works," she said. My wife, Puddin, gave her one of the copies lying around the house.
Two days later, she said, "I've tried to listen to that CD four times now and each time I fall asleep."
Jennifer (the nanny) is from Arkansas and is a college student. She is the first one from her family to attend college. Her teenage brother was getting into trouble in Arkansas, so he moved here and is staying with her. Jennifer allows him to stay and attend high school here as long as he stays out of trouble.
"My brother had been having bad dreams and couldn't sleep,"
she said. "I let him listen to the CD last night. He said that he went straight to sleep and had no bad dreams. This thing really works!" was her final comment.
Sleep was the last thing that I figured Words for Healing would produce. I thought that it would simply heal, but my thoughts are not His. Perhaps what needs healing first is our peace. What relief just a good, sound peaceful night's sleep brings.
Sooner or later you will have a period where you can't sleep and/or when your body, mind, and spirit need healing and relief. Just as you have some select medicines in your medicine cabinet for the times when you need them, you need Words for Healing in your cabinet.
Sooner or later, you or someone you love will need it.
www.MyHealingCD.comSooner or later.
MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#8144 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
Where is Eritrea?
===========
As I prayed over a prayer request that stated,
"The situation in my country has been so difficult..,"
I looked to see exactly what country the writer referred to.
Each prayer request asks for the zip code or country.
The country was Eritrea.
The thing was, I had never heard of Eritrea. I had absolutely
no idea where it was, how big it was, or anything else about it.
My world geography isn't the best, but I thought I had at least
heard of all of countries even if I couldn't locate them on the
globe. But now I drew a total blank.
As I thought about it, I realized even more that there are
people in places and situations that we've never heard of or
imagined.
But no matter where on the globe you are located,
everyone needs someone who cares.
You are nodding your head now, saying to yourself,
"Yes, I need someone who cares about me."
Yes you do
...but you also need to be the someone who cares.
~A MountainWings Original~
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.
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#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.
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#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~
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#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
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#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.wmaTHEM!
=====
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~
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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.mp3Forward 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.
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#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
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