tony mendelez

pure inspiration & encouragement =_)

rail roads of life

view.Loch Katrina.Scotland.

Rick Warren (REMEMBER HE WROTE 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE')
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,

'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the chu rch had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
God's Blessings on you toda

living life n my randomness justified

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to 'cut back the calories'. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible !!

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Who wants to be a millionaire' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because we cram so much into our lives, we tend to even schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day , I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away. ... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.





'Life may not be the party we hoped for... But while we are here we might as well dance!'

God

YOU SAY	GOD SAYS	BIBLE VERSES
You say: 'It's impossible'	God says: All things are possible	(Luke 18:27)
You say: 'I'm too tired'	God says: I will give you rest	(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: 'Nobody really loves me'	God says: I love you	(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )
You say: 'I can't go on'	God says: My grace is sufficient	(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: 'I can't figure things out'	God says: I will direct your steps	(Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: 'I can't do it'	God says: You can do all things	(Philippians 4:13)
You say: 'I'm not able'	God says: I am able	(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: 'It's not worth it'	God says: It will be worth it	(Roman 8:28 )
You say: 'I can't forgive myself'	God says: I Forgive you	(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: 'I can't manage'	God says: I will supply all your needs	(Philippians 4:19)
You say: 'I'm afraid'	God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear	(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'	God says: Cast all your cares on ME	(I Peter 5:7)
You say: 'I'm not smart enough'	God says: I give you wisdom	(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: 'I feel all alone'	God says: I will never leave you or forsake you	(Hebrews 13:5)

life

-taken from my walk in Balloch country park-

For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.
Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. (Job 5:6-7)
__________________________________________________

Uncle Bernie grew up on a farm in Canada. When he was four years old his dad woke him up at 3:00 in the morning. "Cup" his dad said, "get up. We have to go down to the barn."

Cup was his father's nickname for Uncle Bernie. In German it means "the head" and in his family it was his father's way of calling Bernie "The Smart One".
When they got to the barn a mare was giving birth to a foal. "Cup, what do you see?" his father asked.

"I see a momma horse having a baby," Bernie replied. The mare was in trouble and his father had to reach in and turn the foal. "Cup, what do you see?" his father asked. "I see a baby horse coming out."

"Cup what do you see?" he asked again. "I see a baby horse shivering on the straw."

"Cup, what do you see now?" his father asked. "I see the baby horse trying to stand up and the momma horse licking it."

"Cup, what do you see?" his father continued to prod. "I see the baby horse struggling to stay on its feet."

"Cup, what do you see now?" he asked. "I see the baby horse standing on weak legs and the mother nuzzling it."

"Cup, what does it mean?" he asked. "Daddy, I don't know."

"Cup, it means that where there is struggle there is life," he answered.
Where There is Struggle There is Life. Those words sunk into me as Uncle Bernie finished the story.

Source: Embrace the Struggle by Tom Ziglar
__________________________________________________



I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalms 50:9-10)

Not long after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1942, bankruptcy knocked at its doors. By noon on one particular day, every creditor threatened foreclosure. That morning, the founders of the Seminary met to pray in president Lewis Sperry Chafer's office. They asked God to provide the needed funds.

Harry Ironside was part of that prayer meeting. When it was his turn to pray, he prayed in his characteristically pointed manner: "Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money."

Meanwhile, as these men were praying, into the seminary's business office came a tall Texan. Addressing a secretary, he said, "I just sold two carloads of cattle in Fort Worth. I've been trying to make a business deal go through and it won't work, and I feel that God is compelling me to give this money to the seminary. I don't know if You need it or not, but here's the check."

Well aware of the seriousness of the seminary's financial situation, and knowing that it was for that purpose the founders were gathered in prayer, the secretary took the check to the door of the president's office and timidly knocked. When she finally got a response, Chafer took the check out of her hand and stared at it with amazement. The amount matched the exact size of the seminary's debt. Looking at the signature on the check, he recognized the name of the cattle rancher.

Turning to Harry Ironside, he said, "Harry, God sold the cattle!"

Source: Howard Hendricks in Stories for the Heart compiled by Alice Gray

why we should share

a good one to share =)


A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea
And only two of the men on it were able
To swim to a small, desert like island.
The two survivors, not knowing what else to do,
Agree that they had no other recourse
But to pray to God.
However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.


The first thing the first man prayed for was food.
The next morning, the first man saw
A fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land,
And he was able to eat its fruit.

The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.
The next day, another ship was wrecked,
And the only survivor was a woman,
Who swam to his side of the land.

On the other side of the island,
There was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house,
Clothes, more food.
The next day, like magic,
All of these were given to him.

However, The second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship,
So that his wife and he could leave the island.
In the morning, he found a ship docked
At his side of the island.

The first man boarded the ship with his wife
And decided to leave the second man on the island.
He considered the other man unworthy
To receive God's blessings,
Since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave,
The first man heard a voice from Heaven booming,
"Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"


"My blessings are mine alone,
Since I was the one who prayed for them,"
The first man answered.
"His prayers were all unanswered,
And so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him.
"He had only one prayer, which I answered.
If not for that, you would not have
Received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice,
"what did he pray for that I
Should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not
The fruits of our prayers alone,
But those of another praying for us.
Always remember to pray for others who
are in need.
For :
Friends n friends' familes
People on the road side
People who are rendered homeless due to natural calamities
People who are in their death beds
People who have lost their dear ones
People who are protecting our country in the borders
Prisoners
People who are trying to quit bad friends and addicted habits
And anyone who is need of our prayers...

blind

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were u the one who changed my sign this morning? What did u write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what u said but in a
different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day & I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign & the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first
sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think
differently and positively. Invite the people towards good with
wisdom.

Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.
When Life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret.
Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.
Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve.

BACK!!!

after 2 weeks of living in another world...Fionna Tan is BACK!!!!

dissertation nearly caused me my life! and the end product was shite -_-
this is where I say good bye to my distinction and merit and hello pass *full stop*

anyways I had one of the wackiest trip ever in the weekend!!!! muwahahaha never been so cheeky in my entire life for ONE WHOLE WEEKEND!!

I was up in the highlands and was staying in Inverness ...a superb house that we got..and a whole bunch of wacky playmates!!! Visited loads of places...took lots n lots of pictures...as usual my camera hardly contains any human elements =p

I'll put up some pictures later on ^^

thank God for the superb weather...we were always heading towards the sunshine but occasionally got caught in the snow XD
oh by the way...it's SPRING and yea it's SNOWING!!

mmm I got some really really really GOOD pictures!! haha

my playing has just begun!!! muwahahaha...oops I'm suppose to be studying for finals...sigh..oh well can't be bothered just yet ..hahaha

oh a story to read =)

*_SPECIALGROCERY LIST_*


*Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her
face, walked into a grocery store. *
*
She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and
asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to
work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she
leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring
you the money just as
soon as I can."

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a
charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the
conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told
the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her
family.
The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery
list?"

Louise replied, "Yes sir." "O.K" he said, "put your grocery list on
the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you
that amount in groceries."

Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into
her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on
it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her
head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the
scales went down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and
said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on
the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he
continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales
would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the
piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
**
"Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands."** **

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in
stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store.
The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said;

"It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer
weighs."

THE POWER OF PRAYER: When you receive this, say a prayer. That's
all you have to do.

Just stop right now, and say a prayer of thanks for your own good
fortune.
Then please send this to all your friends and relatives.

I believe if you will send this testimony out with prayer in faith,
you will receive what you need God to do in your and your families'
life *.
*
So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the
hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. Amen
& Amen**_

_**
There is no cost but a lot of rewards.
May you always walk with Angels
God Bless!*

beggar dressed but clinged on

A beggar lived near the king's palace. One day he saw a proclamation posted

outside the palace gate. The king was giving a great dinner. Anyone dressed

in royal garments was invited to the party.

The beggar went on his way. He looked at the rags he was wearing and sighed.

Surely only kings and their families wore royal robes, he thought.

Slowly an idea crept into his mind. The audacity of it made him tremble.

Would he dare?

He made his way back to the palace. He approached the guard at the gate.

"Please,sire, I would like to speak to the king."

"Wait here," the guard replied.

In a few minutes, he was back. "His majesty will see you," he said, and led

the beggar in.

"You wish to see me?" asked the king.

"Yes, your majesty. I want so much to attend the banquet, but I have no

royal robes to wear. Please, sir, if I may be so bold, may I have one of

your old garments so that I, too, may come to the banquet?"

The beggar shook so hard that he could not see the faint smile that was on

the king's face.

"You have been wise in coming to me," the king said. He called to his son,

the young prince. "Take this man to your room and array him in some of your

clothes."

The prince did as he was told and soon the beggar was standing before a

mirror, clothed in garments that he had never dared hope for.

"You are now eligible to attend the king's banquet tomorrow night," said the

prince. "But even more important, you will never need any other clothes.

These garments will last forever."

The beggar dropped to his knees. "Oh, thank you," he cried. But as he

started to leave, he looked back at his pile of dirty rags on the floor. He

hesitated. What if the prince was wrong? What if he would need his old

clothes again. Quickly he gathered them up.

The banquet was far greater than he had ever imagined, but he could not

enjoy himself as he should. He had made a small bundle of his old rags and

it kept falling off his lap. The food was passed quickly and the beggar

missed some of the greatest delicacies.

Time proved that the prince was right. The clothes lasted forever. Still the

poor beggar grew fonder and fonder of his old rags.

As time passed people seemed to forget the royal robes he was wearing. They

saw only the little bundle of filthy rags that he clung to wherever he went.

They even spoke of him as the old man with the rags.

One day as he lay dying, the king visited him. The beggar saw the sad look

on the king's face when he looked at the small bundle of rags by the bed.

Suddenly the beggar remembered the prince's words and he realized that his

bundle of rags had cost him a lifetime of true royalty. He wept bitterly at

his folly.

And the king wept with him.

We have been invited into a royal family--the family of God. To feast at

God's dinner table, all we have to do is shed our old rags and put on the

"new clothes of righteousness" of faith which is provided by God's Son,

Jesus Christ.

But we cannot hold onto our old rags. When we put our faith in Christ, we

must let go of the sin in our life, and our old ways of living. Those things

must be discarded if we are to experience true royalty and abundant life in

Christ.

"Behold, the old is passed away; the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Dr. Randy Pausch

seasons of life

*Lessons on Life*


There was an Indian Chief who had four sons.
He wanted his sons to learn not to judge

things too quickly. So he sent them each on
a quest, in turn, to go and look at

a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second
in the spring, the third in

summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he
called them together to describe

what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly,
bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with
green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was
laden with blossoms that smelled so

sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the
most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he
said it was ripe and drooping with

fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they
were all right, because they

had each seen but only one season in the
tree's life.


He told them that you cannot judge a tree,
or a person, by only one season,

and that the essence of who they are and the
pleasure, joy, and love that

come from that life can only be measured at
the end, when all the seasons

are up.


If you give up when it's winter, you will
miss the promise of your spring, the

beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your
fall.



**_Moral:_**

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the
joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and
better times are sure to come


Live Simply.

Love Generously.

**Care Deeply.**** **

**Speak Kindly**.

Leave the Rest to God.

Happiness keeps You Sweet,

Trials keep You Strong,

Sorrows keep You Human,

Failures keep You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only God keeps You Going!

GUI

dad's fwd =)

/*/Dancing With God /*/


When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.


I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.


When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.


It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.


My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.


As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.


My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.


May you abide in God as God
abides in you.


Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

michelangelo

I was just reading this article by David J. Pollay (click here for some of his stories on my blog)
*by the way, my Misc label has one of the most interesting stuff in it XD should check it out which was written on the 14th of May 2007. Thus it stirred me to write up this blog.

In Florence, Italy, one of Michelangelo's greatest piece of work is placed there in the museum. The sculpture of David.Got this picture from here

For those of you who knows the history, you would know what was Michelangelo's reply when asked what inspired him to carve this magnificent sculpture (bearing in mind, that in those years, art was at its truest form, it's pivotal point of development) His reply was, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

Imagine for the most of us, when given a block of raw marble we would just toss it off as a piece of useless material. How many of us would be able to see an angel in that hard piece of marble? But Michelangelo saw beyond the piece of marble, in his mind he already saw his masterpiece. He saw what his hands could do with just a piece of marble.

It's like when we present ourselves to God, we are just the plain old good for nothing human beings. We may find that we do not have anything to offer to God, we can't sing as well as the worship leader, what more when we do sing, the birds fall off the trees.
Or I can't play any musical instruments, I can't do this, I can't do that...
We are just like that piece of marble, good for nothing in the eyes of most people BUT when placed in the RIGHT HANDS of God, our creator. He's able to mold and shape us into His masterpiece. God already knew what a masterpiece you are, as you allow God to work in your life.

Just as Michelangelo worked on that piece of marble, day and night, no other people could be able to see what Michelangelo saw. He did not finish his masterpiece in a day nor a week nor a month. It took him 3 years!! (1501 - 1504) Imagine if we were to work on piece of rock for 3 years, how many of us would just toss it away? I know I would!
Day and night, Michelangelo kept working on it, he had the end in mind, he knew that the prize was the worth the price. He was determine.

That is exactly the same with God but more. God would never get sick of us, with all our troubles and whining, to prove His love for us, He gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ. And it is only through Him that we are saved. And as long as we put our lives in His hands, we will never go wrong.

Given that piece of marble in my hand, it would just end up as a piece of junk. But in the hands of Michelangelo it turned out to be David. Priceless.
To end off:

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. A baseball in Mark Mcquire's hands is worth $19 million. It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship. It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal. A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea. It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy. A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon. It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because - It depends whose hands it's in.

- Garden Thoughts-

cost of a miracle

fwd mail: courtesy from serena aw :)

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick..and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Dad dy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Dad dy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

it's the simple things in life that really matters some how~

Wilma's bag

courtesy of dad's fwds =)

*Wilma's Bag

*By Pamela Perry Blaine


It was a cold winter's day when I first met her. She came into the
waiting area of the automotive department at the mall where I was
waiting for them to put new tires on our van. I watched her as she put
down a large plastic bag that didn't seem to have very much in it. She
took off her coat, hat, and gloves and immediately went to work. She
was a woman with a purpose and knew exactly what she was doing as she
poured the water for a fresh pot of coffee. Next, she began cleaning
the counter, scrubbing it with a wet cloth and straightening up the room.

I commented on how nice she made the room look and she asked me if I
would like a cup of coffee. "Sure," I said, "the coffee smells
wonderful." Then I asked her how long she had worked there. "Oh honey,"
"I don't work here," she said. "I've gotten to know the folks here and
I like to help them out." She explained, "It's just something I can do
to make people smile and you never know, it just might make a difference."

"My name is Wilma," she said, "I've been retired for years." I also
introduced myself to Wilma and she continued to tell me all about
herself. It seems Wilma had lived several blocks from the mall in a
trailer court since her husband died. She told me that she took the bus
to the mall everyday and brought her plastic bag full of goodies. "Did
you see Bill over at that desk?", she asked. "He just loves pretzels so
I always put some of them in my bag for him. Now, Margie, over there at
the drug store," she continued, "she's always so tired, she works two
jobs, you know, and I just like to see her eyes light up when I bring
her a Dr. Pepper." As Wilma talked on I discovered that she made the
rounds everyday to many places in and around the mall where she brought
cookies, candy, or whatever she had to the people that had become her
friends.

"My son lives in Florida," Wilma explained, "he tells me that I
shouldn't spend my money like this, but it's something I can do to make
people smile and maybe it will make a difference," she said once again.
"I went down there to Florida to visit my son," she smiled, "he wants me
to stay there but he doesn't want me to go out alone and I'm just bored
to death, but then I wouldn't want him to know that," Wilma laughed. "I
have my friends here." "Why, just this morning, I stopped at the
grocery store and I pushed all those carts inside for George." "He works
there, you know, and he isn't getting any younger...must be at least 80
and he has to push all those carts inside by himself, so I helped him."
(I had to smile to myself as I knew that Wilma couldn't be far from 80
herself)

"Do you ever enter contests?" Wilma asked. Before I could answer, she
went on, "I always enter all the contests in the stores and sometimes I
win," she said with excitement. "You know those life-sized cardboard
figures you see in the stores?" Wilma asked, "Well, I won Patrick
Swayze," she laughed, "and now I got him right in my living room!"

"Well," I winked at her, "just as long as you don't keep him in your
bedroom." She threw up her hands at that and laughed harder than ever
and then went on to tell me about some of the things she had won and
shared with her friends. I told her what a nice thing that she was
doing and again she said, "Oh, it's just something I can do to make
people smile and you never know, it just might make a difference."

It was time for Wilma to catch her bus and my van was ready to go.
Wilma's bag was about empty except for some M&Ms for her next door
neighbor. I told Wilma I hoped we would meet again sometime.

As I left, I thought about Wilma's bag and all the good that she was
doing for others. It might seem to some as insignificant, but it's
often the little things that count and make life easier. I thought you
should know about Wilma because, "It's just something I can do to make
people smile and you never know, it just might make a difference."

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

Smile, and the whole world smile with you. Smile not frown. Smile always!!