Chicken Soup

[HisDaughter]

Are You Listening

Author Unknown

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had talked about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home.

Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God. If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God, is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again he had the thought to buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, turn down that street. "This is crazy," he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.

Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will."

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go give them the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here."

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby.

The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. He began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife, in the kitchen, yelled out, "I asked him to send an Angel with some milk. Are you an Angel?"

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car with tears streaming down his face. He knew that God still talks to us and still answers prayers.

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I have a personal friend who was praying one day.  While praying God spoke to him and told him that he wanted my friend to buy a jar of mayonnaise for a woman that God would show him.  He said okay and pretty much forgot about it.  Later that day, his wife sent him to the store for some odds and ends and as he rounded yet another aisle, there stood a woman holding a mayonnaise jar.  She was just turning it and looking at it.  My friend realized that this was the woman that God had spoken to him about.  He also realized that he didn't bring enough money for both his purchases and the mayonnaise, so he hurriedly went all the way back home, got the extra money and returned to the store.  He rounded the aisle where he had seen the woman looking at the mayonnaise and there she was, still holding the jar and turning it in her hands!  I don't remember what he said happened next, if he bought it for her at the check out or just gave her the money right there.  But it goes to show you that YES, God still speaks to us today!
Grammyluv

[HisDaughter]

Empathy

Author Unknown

Empathy is the act of suspending one’s own point of view while trying on another’s.

It is a powerful way of allowing oneself to mentally trade places with someone else’s thoughts, feelings and behavior.

It has been said that empathy is the act of walking in someone else’s shoes. The difficult part is that in order to put on someone else’s shoes, we must first take off our own.

Another way of understanding empathy is to remember that letting go of our ego must precede it. This is really the act of letting go of our fears. It’s when we’re able to let go of thinking about and protecting ourselves that we find ourselves able to practice empathy.

It’s when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable that we allow ourselves to be powerful.

Of course, another word for this is love—the act of love. By using empathy we can be with someone in their thoughts and their feelings. We care for their welfare, and we want things to come out the way they would like things to come out.

Empathy teaches us not to treat others the way we would like to be treated. Rather, it teaches us to treat others the way they would like to be treated. Empathy is our servant in the day-to-day ways we express our love.

And what the world needs now is not “love, sweet love.” Love is always here, and it is always in abundance. What the world needs now is to remember to access all this abundant love that is surrounding us. Empathy is the process that provides us that access.

So, go ahead—try it. Be with that other person as though you were that person. Because you are.

[HisDaughter]

I Wish I Were Young Again
By Joshua Patrick McNelly

I wish I were young again.

When I could go to the corner store and spend the money I had just earned mowing a lawn on enough candy to ruin my dinner.

I wish I could go back to those days when I could spend all day in a fort built for me with help from my mom and dad.

When I could run down the street to where my best friend lived and spend all day long pretending to be GI-Joe and saving the world (but from what, I didn’t know).

Where baseball cards were more valuable than money and all I could think about was eating the stale gum in the pack like my favorite major leaguer.

When I could ride my bike for hours upon end and it never got boring.

When I watched TV for fun, not to escape from reality.

I wish I were young again.

When things were pure and innocent, because I didn’t know any better.

When people, all people, were good and nice because I didn’t know what prejudice was.

Where the glow coming from the Christmas tree was the next best thing to blowing out the candles on my birthday.

Where Mom and Dad and Baseball and Apple Pie still meant something, to ALL of us.

Where it wasn’t so bad to leave the front door open and sit in the front yard and wave to the neighbors as they walked by.

When a game of marbles “for keeps” was the most exciting thing going on.

When pool parties and sleepovers and trips to the beach kept us going all summer long. I wish I were young again.

Where the first time in the Eastern Sierra was like I had died and found my way to the best part of heaven that God himself had to offer.

Going down to the creek to try my luck with a pole, 3 salmon eggs and a boy’s innocent dream.

Playing stickball in a church parking lot where we knew we’d be safe but didn’t know what to be afraid of.

Falling asleep at night without a care in the world except for wondering what in the world the next day would bring.

Where there was no work and no bills and the only thing I had to worry about was chores and homework.

Playing tag in the front yard with the neighborhood kids and always remembering to look both ways before running into the middle of the street.

I wish I were young again.

So innocent that we didn’t know what it was to be hungry, homeless or without love.

So pure that we didn’t know what a nuclear weapon was, or what it could do.

So alive because we really didn’t understand what death was, or if we should fear it.

When we were just happy to get the $.50 we got from mom to get an ice cream cone from the ice cream man.

We all have things that we’d want to go back and do again, but the truth is, we can’t. We have to live in the now and do what we can to make the best of what we have. If you stop and think back to what you did when you were younger, some of it makes a lot of sense today. A lot of it was really stupid and sure, we have a lot more to worry about these days, but it’s all the same stuff. Just stop for one moment in time and make it yours. Live it. Be the moment. Think about what is important to you and think about what it really is that you want. It’s not that hard if you just try. It could be as simple as when you were younger.

[HisDaughter]

I Believe...

by Mo Siegel

A 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. "

[HisDaughter]

Interesting....

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb" 
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Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. 
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The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.   
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Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S . Treasury.       
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Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. 
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Coca-Cola was originally green. 
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It is impossible to lick your elbow.
  --------------------------------   
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: 
Alaska
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The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) 
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The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
 --------------------------------
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400 
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The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour:  61,000
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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. 
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The first novel ever written on a typewriter:
Tom Sawyer.
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The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments. 
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Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:   Spades - King David 
Hearts - Charlemagne 
Clubs -Alexander, the Great 
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
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If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. 
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Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
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Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? 
A. Their birthplace
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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?   
A. Obsession
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Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?   
A. One thousand
--------------------------------
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?   
A. All were invented by women.   
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Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?   
A. Honey -------------------------------
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?   
A. Father's Day
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In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.  When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."   
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It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.   
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In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."   It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's" 
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Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

[HisDaughter]

This is interesting simply because God does talk to us and we can hear him if we take the time to know Him and to listen.  This also shows that He does provide for us and equip us to do His work.  Enjoy...

HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE OF BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORT     

 
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.     This is one of her experiences:     

April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing.  I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord.  I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you.  You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise.  Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.  I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight.  Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier.  His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt.  His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.     
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back.  His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.   

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face.  As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting.  Then, I remembered that he was dead.  So this man in the airport... An impersonator maybe?  Was a camera on us somewhere?  There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.  All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.   Let's admit it.  Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.   I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall.  I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen.  And it may be embarrassing.  I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'Don't make me witness to this man.  Not right here and now.  Please.  I'll do anything.  Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience.  Please, Lord!'
     
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man.  Not now.  I'll do it on the plane.'  Then I heard it....'I don't want you to witness to him.  I want you to brush his hair.'   The words were so clear, my heart leap into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top.  Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier.  I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, 'God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord.  I'm your girl!  You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life.  What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed?  I am going to witness to this man.'   

Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. 'That is not what I said, Beth.  I don't want you to witness to him.  I want you to go brush his hair.'   I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush.  It's in my suitcase on the plane.  How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?'  God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.' (2 Timothy 3:17)     I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies.  I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, 'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'   He looked back at me and said, 'What did you say?'   'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'   To which he responded in volume, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'   At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?'  At which point every eye in the place darted right at me.  I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks.  Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, 'If you really want to.'   Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to.  But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then.  He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, 'Yes, sir, I would be pleased.  But I have one little problem.  I don't have a hairbrush.'   

'I have one in my bag,' he responded.

[HisDaughter]

SIMPLE VS REAL
Author Unknown

A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names. A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party. A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed. A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems. A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you!

[HisDaughter]

THE BIRDIES
by Lloyd Glenn

On July 22nd I was en route to Washington, DC for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary, until we landed in Denver for a plane change.

As I collected my belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the United Customer Service Representative immediately. I thought nothing of it until I reached the door to leave the plane, and I heard a gentleman asking every male if he was Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew something was wrong and my heart sunk. When I got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is involved, but I will take you to the phone so you can call the hospital."

My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over. Woodenly, I followed this stranger to the distant telephone where I called the number they gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three-year-old son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several minutes, and that when my wife had found him he was dead. CPR had been performed by a neighbor (who is a doctor) and the paramedics had continued the treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital. By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live, but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his heart.

They explained that the door had completely closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He had been severely crushed. After speaking with the medical staff, my wife sounded worried but not hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness. The return flight seemed to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours after the garage door had come down.

When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son lying so still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile.

It all seemed like a terrible dream. I was filled-in with the details and given a guarded prognosis. Brian was going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was OK, two miracles in and of themselves. But only time would tell if his brain received any damage.

Throughout the seemingly endless hours, my wife was calm. She felt that Brian would eventually be all right. I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline.

All that night and the next day Brian remained unconscious. It seemed like forever since I had left for my business trip the day before. Finally at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken. He said, "Daddy hold me" and he reached for me with his little arms. By the next day he was pronounced as having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital.

You cannot imagine our gratitude and joy. As we took Brian home, we felt a unique reverence for the life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death so closely.

In the days that followed there was a special spirit about our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little brother. My wife and I were much closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a whole family.

Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed to be more focused, and balance much easier to gain and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound.

Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down mommy. I have something to tell you."

At this time in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases so to say a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down with him on his bed, and he began his sacred and remarkable story.

"Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well, it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you couldn't hear me. I started to cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies' came."

"The birdies?" my wife asked puzzled.

"Yes," he replied. "The birdies made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me."

"They did?"

"Yes," he said. "One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you I got stuck under the door." A sweet reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet lighter than air.

My wife realized that a three-year-old had no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to him from beyond as "birdies" because they were up in the air like birds that fly.

"What did the birdies look like?" she asked.

Brian answered, "They were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them had green and white. But some of them had on just white."

"Did they say anything?"

"Yes," he answered. "They told me the baby would be all right."

"The baby?" my wife asked confused.

Brian answered. "The baby laying on the garage floor." He went on, "You came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not leave."

My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body and seeing his crushed chest whispered, "Don't leave us Brian, please stay if you can."

As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken, she realized that the spirit had left his body and was looking down from above on this little lifeless form.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"We went on a trip." He said, "Far, far away." He grew agitated trying to say the things he didn't seem to have the words for. My wife tried to calm and comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously was very important to him, but finding the words was difficult. "We flew so fast up in the air. They're so pretty Mommy," he added. "And there is lots and lots of birdies."

My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet comforting spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had never before known Brian went on to tell her that the "birdies" had told him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the "birdies." He said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck, and an ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay, but the man couldn't hear him. He said the birdies told him he had to go with the ambulance, but they would be near him. He said they were so pretty and so peaceful, and he didn't want to come back.

Then the bright light came. He said that the light was so bright and so warm, and he loved the bright light so much. Someone was in the bright light and put their arms around him, and told him, "I love you but you have to go back. You have to play baseball, and tell everyone about the birdies." Then the person in the bright light kissed him and waved bye-bye. Then whoosh, the big sound came and they went into the clouds.

The story went on for an hour. He told her that "birdies" were always with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes and we don't hear them because we listen with our ears. “But they are always there, you can only see them in here,” (he put his handover his heart). “They whisper the things to help us to do what is right because they love us so much,” Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy. You have a plan. Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a plan. We must all live our plan and keep our promises. The birdies help us to do that cause they love us so much."

In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and told all, or part of it, again and again. Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or out of order. A few times he added further bits of information and clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he talked about his birdies.

Everywhere he went, he told strangers about the "birdies." Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on their face and smiled.

Needless to say, we have not been the same ever since that day, and I pray we never will be.

[HisDaughter]

What I Asked For


Author Unknown

I asked for Strength
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed!

[HisDaughter]

Do It Anyway
By Kent Keith

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered:
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives:
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies: Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you:
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight:
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous:
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow:
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough:
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God:
It was never between you and them anyway.

[HisDaughter]

A Carrot, Egg & Cup of Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see? Carrots, eggs, and coffee."

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

The mother elaborated for her daughter; "Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity you wilt, become soft and lose strength? Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but then changes and hardens with the heat? Some people have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, they become hardened and stiff. Though their outer shell looks the same, on the inside they are rigid and unyeilding. Or perhaps you are like the coffee bean. The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, the bean releases its fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, you get better and change the situation around you, when things are at their worst. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, you elevate yourself to another level.

So the next time you experience adversity, remember to ask yourself, 'Am I being a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'"

________________________________________

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

[HisDaughter]

Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

[HisDaughter]

God and the Spider

During World War II, a US Marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one."

Just then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah" he thought, "what I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.

Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered it for quite a while.

"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man, "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways.

As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In God we will have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]

Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider's web can become a brick wall of protection. Trust and believe that He is with you always. Just ask for his help and you will see His great power and love for you.

[HisDaughter]

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
By Erma Bombeck
(Written after she found out she was dying from cancer.)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television – and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more of "I love you" and more "I'm sorry.” But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it...and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us.

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.

Life is too short to let it pass you by.

I read this years ago and always wished I could find it again.  It really affected me and I always remember the jist of it if not the exact words.  In fact I was just sharing the "jist" of it with another the woman just the other day.  I'm so happy to have found it again and I can't wait to print this off and take it to her tomorrow!
In Christ,
Grammyluv

[HisDaughter]

The Puppies

A storeowner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies For Sale."

Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the sign. "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked.

The storeowner replied, "Anywhere from $30 to $50."

The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37," he said. "Can I please look at them?"

The storeowner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, "What's wrong with that little dog?"

The storeowner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. "That is the puppy that I want to buy."

The storeowner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog, if you really want him, I'll just give him to you."

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the man’s eyes, pointed his finger, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for."

The storeowner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies."

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the storeowner and softly replied, "Well, I don't run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!"