Chicken Soup

[HisDaughter]

The Survivor

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.

He prayed feverishly for GOD to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger.

'GOD, how could you do this to me?' he cried.

 Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island.  It had come to rescue him.

'How did you know I was here?' Asked the weary man of his rescuers.

'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because GOD is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain, and suffering.

Remember that, the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of GOD.

Submitted by maryjo garascia

[HisDaughter]

        I Believe:

        Birth Certificate shows that we were born
        A Death Certificate shows that we died
        Pictures show that we lived!
        Have a seat . . . Relax . . And read this slowly.

        I Believe...
        That just because two people argue,
        it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
        And just because they don't argue,
        it doesn't mean they do love each other.

        I Believe...
        That we don't have to change friends if
        we understand that friends change.

        I Believe...
        That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt
        you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

        I Believe...
        That true friendship continues to grow, even over
        the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

        I Believe...
        That you can do something in an instant
        that will give you heartache for life.

        I Believe...
        That it's taking me a long time
        to become the person I want to be.

        I Believe...
        That you should always leave loved ones with
        loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

        I Believe...
        That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

        I Believe...
        That we are responsible for what
        we do, no matter how we feel.

        I Believe...
        That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

        I Believe...
        That heroes are the people who do what has to be done
        when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

        I Believe...
        That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

        I Believe...
        That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have
        the best time.

        I Believe...
        That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
        when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

        I Believe...
        That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
        but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

        I Believe...
        That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences
        you've had
        and what you've learned from them and less to do
        with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

        I Believe...
        That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
        sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

        I Believe...
        That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't
        stop for your grief.

        I Believe...
        That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we
        are, but we are responsible for who we become.

        I Believe...
        That you shouldn't be so eager to find
        out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

        I Believe...
        Two people can look at the exact same
        thing and see something totally different.

        I Believe...
        That your life can be changed in a matter of
        hours by people who don't even know you.

        I Believe...
        That even when you think you have no more to give, when
        a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

        I Believe...
        That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

        I Believe...
        That the people you care about most in life are taken from you
        too soon.

        'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of
        everything; they just make the most of everything.'
       

    Live simply.
    Love generously.
    Care deeply.
    Speak kindly.

[HisDaughter]

The Blind Horse(anonymous)


Near my home is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....


And remember... Be kinder than necessary - Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[HisDaughter]

Twinkies And Root Beer


A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

~author unknown~

[HisDaughter]

Daddy's Empty Chair
 (anonymous)

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me", he said.
"No, who are you?" said the father.
The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show
up".

Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man, "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head."

I abandoned any attempt at prayer, "the old man continued, " until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, "Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus."

Here is what I suggest: "Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. "Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. Did he die in peace?" he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.

When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God

[HisDaughter]

The Kindness of a Stranger
(anonymous)

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.
She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith ,  in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it.

Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.

Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God

[nChrist]

What a beautiful story!

I have my little old man sitting next to me. He's 16 years old and hasn't been more than a few inches away from me all day. He's been sad today because my wife is in St. Louis helping the kids. My daughter's husband in gone to a school, and she will help bring them all home for a visit. To make a long story short, our little dog is a basket case when either of us are out of pocket. He's a faithful little friend who gives love unconditionally, so it's easy to see why so many people love their pets. This is just a small example when comparing how much GOD loves us - even enough to die for us.

Love in Christ,
Tom

Favorite Bible Quotes 328 - Philippians 4:12-13 I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am
instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth
me.

[HisDaughter]

Age And Attitude
(anonymous)

It Is Not The AGE It Is The ATTITUDE:

A 92-year-old, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coiffed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it." It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank. I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen!

J. Free your heart from hatred. Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
                                                                    within me.
E. Free your mind from worries. Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
                                                                      lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

S. Live simply.  Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little
                                         children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

U. Give more. Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn
                                        not thou away.

S. Expect less. Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
                                      upon your lusts.

[HisDaughter]

Amen!

J. Free your heart from hatred. Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
                                                                    within me.
E. Free your mind from worries. Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
                                                                      lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

S. Live simply.  Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little
                                         children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

U. Give more. Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn
                                        not thou away.

S. Expect less. Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
                                      upon your lusts.

Wow!  Thanks Pastor Roger!  That is such a great addition!  And I thought only BEP stopped by here!   

[Soldier4Christ]

And I thought only BEP stopped by here!   

I'm full of surprises. 

[nChrist]

Wow!  Thanks Pastor Roger!  That is such a great addition!  And I thought only BEP stopped by here!   

Hello Grammyluv,

Sister, this is one of my favorites, and I read everything posted here. If you look at the number of "Reads", you'll see that nearly 59,000 people have read in this thread. This is the magic of mass communication on the Internet. We have no idea how GOD will eventually use every post, but HE does, and we have HIS Promise that HIS WORD will never return void. It makes me feel good that people around the world can get good and Godly material to use. I know that it's even translated into other languages to use, and many missionaries use Christian materials to teach English. GOD is still working in many MIGHTY ways that we don't even know about, so this is just another reason to give Thanks to GOD. May HE receive all the GLORY!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Christian Quotes 172 -
Helping struggling souls in the battle of life
We wish that ministers of Christ, who wield the marvelous
power of the pulpit, instead of pursuing, Sunday after Sunday,
the round of purely doctrinal sermons, would understand the
necessity of sympathetically helping struggling souls in the
battle of life; teaching them how to fight the good fight of
faith when the hour of conflict comes. The Sunday discourse
ought to impart strength and heart-cheer to the combatants,
young and old, in the spiritual arena.
 -- John MacDuff  1895

[Soldier4Christ]

GOD is still working in many MIGHTY ways that we don't even know about, so this is just another reason to give Thanks to GOD. May HE receive all the GLORY!

Amen!

[HisDaughter]

May HE receive all the GLORY![/b]

I'll give that another AMEN!

[HisDaughter]

Yellow Roses
(anonymous)

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket... hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. 'My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know.'

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

'My husband passed away eight days ago,' I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. 'Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.'

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. 'These are for you,' she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. 'When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.' She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

(I totally had a lump in my throat when I read this one.  And wouldn't you know?  Yellow roses are my favorite too!)