Monday, December 14, 2009

21 Wise Sayings

1. The best way to get even is to forget...

2. Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

3. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts...

4. Some folks wear their halos much too tight...

5. Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be
maintained on earth...

6. Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days, then perhaps giving "advice" to God, isn't such a good idea.

7. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

8. Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous.
You will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

9. Words are windows to the heart.

10. A skeptic is a person who when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it's a forgery.

11. It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill,
just add a little dirt.

12. A successful marriage isn't finding the right person-it's
being the right person.

13. The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

14. Too many people offer God prayers with claw marks all over them.

15. The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can't hold it.

16. To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover
the prisoner was you.

17. You have to wonder about humans, they think God is dead and
Elvis is alive.

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again.
Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it
sticks out its neck...

20. If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.

21. And last but not least -- God gave the angels Wings, and He
gave humans CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Keep smiling, and ...if you see someone's missing one....
give them one of yours!!

~Author Unknown~

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Inspiration from A Farmer

There was a Nebraska farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we have to be happy, we should help neighbor to be happy.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Fascinating Facts

- The luckiest number in Italy is 13.

- The sphinx was carved from one piece of stone.

- Every tenth egg is larger than the preceding nine.

- When a piece of glass cracks, the cracks move at a speed of over 4,800 kms per hour.

- The most talkative parrot on record, an African grey parrot belonging to a London family, had a vocabulary of almost 1000 words.

- Most people move about forty times in their sleep during the night. Insomniacs may move as many as seventy times.

- The camel has no gall bladder.

- The famous Egyptian sphinx is in fact a statue of the goddess Armachis.

- Abraham Lincoln had a dream on the eve of his first election as President. In a large mirror, he noticed two distinct images of himself, one imposed on the other. One image was much paler than the other. Lincoln told his wife about the dream and she interpreted it to mean that he would be elected to a second term but would not live through it.

- While it was the deepest secret in the world, the atomic bomb was publicly described with considerable accuracy by Cleve Cartmill – a year and half before it was announced officially. The description was included in a science-fiction story called “Deadline” in the March, 1944 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, so virtually no one paid any attention.



- In the Tahiti botanical gardens, there is a bamboo plant standing 140 feet high.

- Napoleon suffered from ailurophobia, the fear of cats.

- The complete root system of the pumpkin plant would stretch for 24 kilometers, if every root was laid end to end.

- In 1695, two scientists obtained a diamond from a rich patron and heated it by using a lens to focus light on it. The diamond disappeared. Diamond is made of carbon, and it burns just as coal will when it is heated strongly enough.

- The social instinct among monkeys is so strong that if one of a group is ill, the others will forego their food etc. for him.

- A mole can dig a tunnel 100 yards long in a single night.

- The chameleon’s tongue, which always hits its prey, can be extended more than twice the length of its body.

- The average electrical eel produce a shock of 400 volts, though some larger ones have been known to generate much larger shocks of 650 volts, powerful enough to kill a man.

- Hens in the USA lay over 13, 80,000 eggs every minute.

- Blind people who have been blind from birth can not dream sights but they dream sounds instead.

- Eskimos use refrigerators to keep food from freezing.

- The JEEP got its name from its original initials G.P. which stood for GENERAL PURPOSE VEHICLE.

- 14622047999 divided by 10 leaves a remainder of 9, Divided by 9 leaves a remainder of 8, Divided by 7 leaves a remainder of 6 and so on.

- Chemically the substance that is closest to human blood is sea water.
-Luminous bacteria that have the ability to give off light have been cooled to a temperature of -190 Deg. C and found to be alive when they were warmed up.

- An albatross can fly all day and not flip its wings once.

- The only animal that sleeps on its back is man.

- Mosquitoes prefer to bite blondes.

- It takes over ten years for a cork tree to grow one layer of cork.

- Soya beans are used in the manufacture of glue, paint, plastics and explosives.

- Some stars in the Milky Way are 80,000 light years from the earth.

- The human body contains enough fat to make seven bars of soap.

- Petrol and paraffin extinguish fires in bales of cotton more efficiently than water.

- Grasshoppers have white blood.

- Christian Heinrich of Lubeck was able to talk when he was eight weeks old and he knew pieces from the Pentateuch and the Bible at the age of thirteen months.

- An Alsatian’s sense of smell is a million times better than a man’s.

- The Great White Shark is the only creature living in the sea that has no natural enemies even killer whales avoid it.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

FASCINATING FACTS

-The Sahara is as large as Europe and larger than the combined area of the next nine largest deserts in the world.
-Up to 30,000 tonnes of cosmic dust are deposited on the earth each year.
-Flies take off with a backward jump.
-Fireflies are bright enough to shine through the stomach of a frog.
-Three 25 watt bulbs produce less light than one 75 watt bulb.
-The sun weighs 3, 30,000 times as much as the earth.
-The world’s largest palace is the Imperial Palace in the heart of Peking, which covers an area of 178 acres.
-Typewriters were first developed to help the blind.
-The Ostrich can run at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour and on Ostrich farms in Cape Province, South Africa, they hold Ostrich races for tourists.
-The cigar is named after the Mayan word for smoking, sik’ar.
-The human eye can distinguish about 17,000 different colours.
-There is more sugar in a kilo of lemons than in a kilo of strawberries.
-If you had fifteen books on a shelf and you arrange them in every possible combination, and if you made one change every minute, it would take you 24, 87,996 years to do them all.
-It was claimed that a tiger shot by Colonel Jim Corbett in 1907 had killed 436 people in India.
-A rattle snake or viper has special cells between its nostril and its eye which are sensitive to infra-red radiant heat. They can locate people in the dark by the heat they give off.
-The Emperor Penguin of the Antarctic can reach a depth of 870 feet and remain submerged for as long as 18 minutes.
-Lightening strikes the earth a hundred times every second from the 1800 thunderstorms in progress, at any given moment.
-Eighty percent of the world’s supply of dates comes from Iraq.
-Scientists have found that mice prefer women to men.
-Early guns took so long to load and fire that bows and arrows – in trained hands – were twelve times more efficient.
-The silkworm is not a worm: It is a caterpillar.
-Each square inch of human skin consists of 19 million cells, sixty hairs, ninety oil glands, and nineteen feet of blood vessels, 625 sweat glands and 19,000 sensory cells.
-The driest place on Earth is Calama, in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Not a drop of rain has been seen there.
-Every year more than 50,000 earthquakes take place on earth. Of these most are too slight to be noticeable to man.
-There are 25, 00,000 rivets in the Effel Tower.
-There are more than 600 muscles in our muscular system.
-Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one, the Pyramids of Egypt, is still in existence. Others have crumbled and disappeared. The great reason of the duration of the Pyramid above all other forms is that it is most fitted to resist the force of gravitation.
-The royal house of Saudi Arabia may at present have as many as 5,000 prices and an equal number of princesses. King Abdul Aziz Saud, who ruled from 1932 until his death in 1953, had 300 wives.
-Coffee is the world’s second largest item of international commerce. (Petroleum is first.)
-House Lizards are perfectly harmless. They neither bite nor are they aggressive. In fact they help man by eating insects like flies and mosquitoes.
-A popular misconception seems to be that filtered cigarettes are less dangerous than unfiltered ones. According to a study the opposite would be the case: people who prefer filtered cigarettes are in danger of dying two to almost four years earlier than smokers of filter less cigarettes. Filters prevent the dilution of the smoke by oxygen so that the bloodstream builds up higher levels of carbon monoxide, in the form of carboxyhemoglobin.
-Egyptian embalmers used to remove a dead person’s brains through his nostrils.
-The heaviest bell in the world, the Tsar Kolokol Bell, was cast in 1733 in Moscow, Russia. This bell, which has been standing in the Kremlin since 1836, is over 19 feet high, 24 inch thick and weighs 216 tones.
-A person’s hair can not turn white overnight because of some terrible tragedy or frightening experience – or for any other reason.
-Assembly line method made it possible for the US Shipyards of Henry J.Kaiser during World War-II to produce a ship in just four days.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Boy and The Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy
loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the
tree top, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow...

He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by...

The little boy grew up, and he no longer played around the tree
everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree with a sad
look on his face. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the
boy. "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore."
The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."
"Sorry, I don't have money...but you can pick all my apples and
sell them so you will have money."

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree
and left happily. The boy didn't come back after he picked the
apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited.
"Come and play with me," the tree said.
"I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family.
We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"
"Sorry, I don't have a house, but you can chop off my branches
to build your house."

So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily.
The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn't come back
afterward. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted.
"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax
myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your
boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the
tree truck to make a boat. He went sailing and didn't come
back for a long time.


Finally, the boy returned after he had been gone for so many
years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you
anymore. No more apples for you..." the tree said.

"I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on."

"I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give
you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots," the
tree said with sadness.

"I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after
all these years," the boy replied.

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest.
Come sit down with me and rest." The boy sat down and the tree
was glad and smiled with tears.

*****************************************************************

This is the story of everyone.

The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play
with Mom and Dad... When we grew up, we left them...

We only came to them when we needed something or when we were in
trouble.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give you
everything they can to make you happy.

It may seem as if the way the boy treats the "tree" in the story
is cruel, but many of us take our parents for granted in the
same way.

Never forget how important your parents are and try not to take
them for granted... they may not be around forever.


~Author Unknown~

Friday, October 30, 2009

Ideal Weight Chart For Men

Ideal Weight Chart For Women

Top 5 Exercise Questions Answered

To work out more effectively and get faster, safer results, you need to know the right answers to your fitness questions. Here are some of the most common queries, fielded by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) during their annual Fitness on Call event.

1. How do I start an exercise program?

The short answer is slowly. Doing too much, too quickly, is one of the fastest ways to end up back on the couch or worse. Walking is arguably the easiest, most convenient way to start getting into shape, but cycling, an exercise class, or any other moderate intensity activity will do. Just choose something you'll enjoy.

You can begin with as little as 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week. Choose a pace that is comfortable so that sore muscles won't discourage you from continuing. After a week or so, gradually increase either the length of time or the number of days a week that you're exercising. Slowly work up to at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.

2. How much exercise do I need to do to lose weight?
Exercise alone may not be the best way to slim down. To lose a pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories. Since walking a mile burns about 80 calories, you'd have to cover 44 miles to lose a pound!

But losing weight can be much easier if you combine exercising with a little calorie cutting. If you want to lose about a pound a week (a safe, healthy recommendation), you need a 500-calorie deficit each day. You can achieve that by exercising off about 300 calories (a 3- to 4-mile walk or an exercise class) and cutting back on what you eat by 200 calories (a can of soda and two pats of butter)a day.

3. What's the best piece of home exercise equipment to buy?
One that you'll use regularly, so choose one that you enjoy. If you want to read while you exercise, it may be easier to do on a stationary bike than a treadmill. Also, keep in mind any conditions that may limit your activity. For example, a cross-country ski machine is probably not the best choice if you have chronic shoulder pain.

If you're not sure which piece of equipment you'd enjoy most, get a guest pass to a local health club and try a variety of machines before you buy. Other things to consider when buying exercise equipment: space and cost.

4. What can I do to lose fat in my belly?
Sit-ups or crunches alone won't conquer the bulge. Abdominal exercises will strengthen the muscles underneath the fat. But you need to do some type of aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling. And watch what you eat!

5. Which is best, cardio exercise or weight training?
Whether you're trying to lose weight, get into shape, or just stay healthy, both types of exercise are important for different reasons. Cardio, or aerobic, exercise conditions your heart and lungs, helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improves your endurance. Weight, or strength, training helps prevent the loss of muscle that usually occurs as you get older. With strength training, you'll stay strong, keep your metabolism revved up, and maintain good posture.

Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a week, and 20 minutes of strength training two or three times a week.

ACE Get You Moving

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636, or go to their Web site.

Michele Stanten, Prevention's Fitness Director, is a certified group fitness instructor and counselor in the areas of weight control and stress management.

Easy to observe hints on maintaining good health

1) Drink a glass of water early in the morning after brushing the teeth.

2) If there is no bowel movement, drink a glassful of hot water before going to bed the previous night.

3) Daily take good quantity of good variety of fruits or fruit juice.

4) Avoid eating polished rice and maida flour.

5) Eat more and more grains and pulses of round variety (Ragi, mazie, bajar etc).

6) Eat more vegetables, try to avoid non-vegetarian food.

7) Eat germinated pulses like bengal gram, peas, horse gram, green gram etc. preferable
uncooked.

8) Take milk, buttermilk and ghee in moderate.

9) Avoid pre-cooked, canned food, cold, dry, synthetic syrups, dry food, pickles, frozen food.

10) Avoid eating bakery food, fried, masala mixed food.

11) Completely avoid tobacco (smoke, chewing, snuffing) coffee, tea, sleeping pills, pain killers etc.

12) Eat only when you are hungry, but , do not drink water when you are hungry, nor eat solid food when you are thirsty. This will end up in digestive disorder and obesity and possibility of cancer

13) Reduce the intake of salt.

14) Always masticate your food well, do not hurry up and swallow.

15) Do not eat when you are tired, relax and then have food.

16) Do not eat immediately after hard labour.

17) Do not drink water during meals, practice taking water half an hour before or after meals. Drink 7 to 8 glasses of water daily.

18) Do not eat between meals.

19) Do not with hold or fail to answer calls of nature (Urination or Motion)
20) Always inhale fresh air, let your bed room have free movement of fresh atmospheric air.

21) Practice deep breath through the nose several times.

22) Have regular exercise.

23) Roam in the sun as long as possible and better have sun bath for health reasons.

24) Enjoy an undisturbed sleep during nights.

25) It is good to have your feet in slightly elevated position when you sleep, Have a pillow below your legs or slightly raise the leg of your cot, this will facilitate easy flow of venous blood back to the lungs, do not sleep on the back, sleep on one side.

26) See that you have sufficient rest during day at regular intervals

27) Never sleep with your head in northern direction, east is best

28) Above all meditate, pray and believe in God,. You will be healthy.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Hospital Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where
they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blanked wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The Rose

James was a highly respected officer in the army. In his sparetime, he liked to surf the net and talk to new people online.He had been talking to a woman for some time now and had a sortof internet relationship with her. He had actually fallen inlove with her. The only problem was that any time he asked herabout sending a picture her response was "if you love me thismuch then what I look like doesn't matter."So he agreed and let it go.Later, even without seeing her but only knowing her personalityand how loving and caring she was, he asked her to marry him, towhich she answered yes. They decided to meet at a train stationfor the first time and she told him that she would be wearing ared rose so that he would know who she was.Well the time came and James stood there in his full officersuniform waiting ever so anxiously for her to come off of thetrain.Then he looked over to see a tall blonde with a short cut dress,nice legs, long hair waving back and forth in the wind and themost beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He couldn't believe hiseyes. . .. . .then from behind her appeared an older heavyset womanwearing a red rose.As the beautiful woman walked by she asked, "Goin my waysoldier?" but James, as if he didn't even hear her, just turnedaround standing at attention with tears of joy in his eyes andlooking at the older woman and said,"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," to which the older ladysaid, "I don't know why but that lady that just walked by told meto wear this and if you came to me to tell you to meet her inthe restaurant across the street."That is the way most of our lives are. The decisions we makecan change our lives. If you make the wrong choice you couldend up empty-handed but choosing the right way, even though itmay be the harder way, will work out always in the end.We all have at least two choices to make,the right one and the wrong one.Which one will you make?
~Author Unknown~

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Colour of Friend

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.All claimed that they were the best.The most important.The most useful.The favorite.
Green said:"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."
Blue interrupted:"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."
Yellow chuckled:"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."
Orange started next to blow her trumpet:"I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."
Red could stand it no longer he shouted out:"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."
Purple rose up to his full height:He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."
Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."
And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.
In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak:"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me."
Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.
The rain continued:
"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow." And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.

A Story

A touching story and A good reminder: "Take time to appreciate what you have now." -- Dont miss reading this one On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to go to the supermarket to buy the remaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all the people there, I started to complain tomy self, "It is going to take forever here and I still have so many other places to go.
Christmas really is getting more and more annoying every year. How I wish I could just lie down, go to sleep and only wake up after it..."Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section, and there I started to curse the prices, wondering if after all kids really play with such expensive toys. While looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5 years old, pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad. I wondered who was this doll for. Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?" The old lady replied, "You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear."Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I started to walk toward him and I asked him who did he want to give this doll to."It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that may be Santa Claus will bring it to her, after all, and not to worry.
My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket.
Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me, "I also want mummy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again, just in case if you have enough money?" "Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough."
I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the do! ll, and even some spare money.The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough money."
Then he looked at me and added, "I asked yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me." "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and the white rose." "You know, my mummy loves white rose."
A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus can not bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there. "His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to be wit! the God. Daddy says that Mummy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought that she could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket."Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me, "I also want mummy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again, just in case if you have enough money?" "Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough."I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the do! ll, and even some spare money.
The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough money." Then he looked at me and added, "I asked yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me." "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and the white rose." "You know, my mummy loves white rose."
A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young lady and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whet! her to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of the coma.Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away. I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunch of white roses and I went to the mortuary where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wish before burial.
She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.I left the place crying, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to that day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him...

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Story of Two Seas

Visited Israel? If you did, then you know that Israel has two lakes.
The one up in the North is the Kinneret, also known as the Sea of
Galilee, because it is up in the area called the Galilee. From this
lake comes most of the water in the tiny state. The ancient city of
Tiberias, located on its shores, is today a flourishing city. Here the
delicious St. Peter's fish is caught by the local fishermen and prized
as a delicacy.
From the Kinneret, the water is purified and pumped into large
pipelines that bring the life-giving water to the towns and cities all
over the country. From the Kinneret, the Jordan River winds its way
down to the Dead Sea. It is much smaller now than in the times of the
Bible, but still enough to give life and green to the plants all along
its path.
The second of Israel's lakes is the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is an area
of desolation. Even though the sweet waters of the Jordan flow into it,
yet the salty mineral water is too heavy to be diluted. No plants grow
around the banks of the Dead Sea, and no fish or plant life exists in
the heavily salty waters. The salt concentrate is not like that of the
average oceans of the world. It is so great that when a bather walks
into the water, at a point approximately at his chest, the dense water
lifts him up and he will float. Indeed no one is able to swim in the
water. The salt and mineral content is so great that it burns the eyes
and any open wound. After being in the water, a bather must wash to
cleanse himself from the salt and mineral residue.
What a contrast! Compare the life-giving water of the Kinneret in the
North to the deathly-parched area around the Dead Sea.
Yet we are told that this is similar to two basic types of people:
There is the giver, the person who gives generously whether of his time
or his money. And there is the taker, the person who only takes, and
any giving on his part is only in his own self interest, to promote
more taking. The giver gives, and life grows around him. The taker only
takes and death is around him, nothing sprouts.
Yes, there are contributory rivers that flow into the Kinneret, but
their waters are not kept there, but distributed to other needy
sources. The giver is the sustainer of life.
The Dead Sea is located in the lowest part of Israel and one of the
lowest parts of the world. The Dead Sea keeps all of its water to
itself. Similarly, the taker, only takes and keeps it only for himself.
No one else benefits from him. Nothing is lower than this.
Even from the geography of the Holy Land of Israel, we learn deep
lessons on how to conduct our lives. Let us be a giver. Let us concern
ourselves with the other person.
Remember, even smiling at the next person is an act of giving. Let us
go beyond our needs and see what we can do to help the next person.

The Potatos

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play game. The
teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag
containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person
that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put
in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she
hates.
So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name
of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up
to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them
the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet)
for 1 week.
Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to
the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those
having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the
children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with
you for 1 week?"The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the
trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and
smelly potatoes wherever they go. Then the teacher told them the hidden
meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the
situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart.
The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it
with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten
potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the
stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime?"
Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not
carry sins for a lifetime and to the end of 'sansara'. Forgiving others
is the best attitude to take! Love others even if you don't like
them........ and if you want to see a better world.
May All Beings be Happy

The Begger's Rags

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..
When we put our faith in God, we must let go of the sin in our life, and our old ways of living.

INTERESTING FACTS

Newzeland is home for 4 million people and 70 million sheep.
Fish and insects do not have eyelids – their eyes are protected by a hardened lens.
In Denmark there are twice as many pigs as people.
An Ostrich can run up to 70 km/hour.
On average you breathe 23,000 times a day.
The liver is the largest of human body’s internal organs.
Earth is not round; it is slightly pear shape.
Summer on Uranus lasts 21 years. But so does the winter.
Earth is the only planet in solar system, not named after a God.
An average 13,000 earth quakes are located each year.
Due to earth’s gravity, it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.
The word Malaria comes from the words Mal and Aria, which means bad air.
The first city in the world to have a population of more than one million was Rome.
The first parachute jump from an airplane was made by captain Berry at st.Loius Missouri in 1912.
UK Postal stamps are the only stamps in the world not to bear the name of the country of origin.
Great Britain was the first country to issue postage stamps on 1st May, 1840.
The videophone was invented by Bell Laboratories in 1927.
The word millionaire was first used by Benjamin Disraeli in his 1826 Novel Vivian grey.
Currency notes are not made from paper, they are made mostly from a special blend of cotton and linen.
The dollar $ sign was designed in 1788 by Oliver Pollack.
Sound travels through water 3 times faster than through air.
Radio waves travel to much faster than sound waves that broadcast voice can be heard sooner 18,000 km away than in the back of the room in which it originated.
Water expands by about 9% as it freezes.
Iceland has no military and no military expenses.
Still the Bible is the world’s best selling book.
The first English dictionary was written by Samuel Johnson in 1755.
There are more than 10 billion web pages on the internet.
The term COP comes from Constable on Petrol, which is a term used in England.
Dolphins don’t automatically breathe; they have to tell themselves to do it.
Honey bees never sleep.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
The muddiest river in the world is the Hwang ho in China. It carries so much silt you could build a vast wall 131 ft. high and 20 ft. wide all around the world.
On mount waialeale in Hawaii it rains nearly everyday in fact there are about only 15 days every year when it doesn’t rain.
The earth’s surface is made up of ‘Plates’. These are moving slightly all the time. When pressure builds up between two plates, the result is an earth quake.

PEARLS OF WISDOM

By acquiring much worldly knowledge you could develop arrogance, with spiritual study there is a greater and greater humility.
It is not that good persons would go to heaven “when they leave”…But, they create heaven “where they live”…
Making millions of friends is not a miracle. The miracle is making a friend who will stand with you when millions stand against you.
Best relations do not need promises, terms or conditions. They just need two wonderful persons; One who can trust and One who can understand.
Difference between Home and Temple; In the Temple everyone imagins to see the God. At Home we live with real Gods…. ‘Our parents’
Success without humour is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger; but it won’t taste good.
The ladder of success is never crowded at the top. There is keen competition at the bottom. But there is always a vacancy at the top.
Learning history is so easy, making history so difficult. Be a history maker and make others learn.
If we fight we may not always win. But if we don’t fight we will surely lose. Falling down is not defeat; Defeat is when you refuse to ‘GETUP’
Protect your relationship with the little extra care & adjustment. 50% of the relationship. Problems can be solved by merely listening to each other.
Never Blame any day in your Life; good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience; worst days give you a lesson. All are essential for life.
The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.
Watch your thoughts; they become words; watch your words; they become actions watch; your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Work like you don’t need money; love like you’re never hurt, and dance like no one’s watching.
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well neither does bathing that’s why we recommend it daily.
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Don’t ever wrestle with a pig. You’ll both get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it.
He who knows best knows how little he knows.
It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.
The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.
The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.
The best friend is the one who brings out the best in you.
Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.
Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared, but only men of character are trusted.
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.
Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.

Touching Toes May Indicate Heart Risk

In addition to measuring flexibility, touching your toes may indicate your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Performance on sit-and-reach tests can be a sign of the risk of an early death heart attack or stroke among people 40 years old and older, according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology.
Since arterial stiffness often heralds cardiovascular disease, a test of how far you can reach beyond your toes from a sitting position could be a quick, easy, inexpensive indicator of how stiff your arteries are.
“Our findings have potentially important clinical implications because trunk flexibility can be easily evaluated,” said one of the authors, Kenta Yamamoto. “This simple test might help to prevent age-related arterial stiffening.”
Although it isn’t known why flexibility of the body in middle age and older would be related to arterial flexibility, the authors speculate that stretching exercises may trigger physiological reactions that slow the stiffening of arteries connected with aging.
Healthy blood vessels are elastic, and elasticity helps maintain healthy blood pressure. Arteries stiffen with age, and stiff arteries are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Previous studies have shown that physical fitness can delay arterial stiffness and the authors of this study theorize that a flexible body could be a quick way to determine arterial flexibility.
The researchers divided 526 healthy, non-smoking adults ages 20 to 83 into three age groups: young (20-39), middle aged (40-59), and older (60-83), to perform a sit-and-reach test. They sat on the floor with their backs against the wall and their legs straight. They slowly bent forward and reached out with their arms. They were classified as either poor or high flexibility, depending on how far they could reach.
The study found that trunk flexibility was a good predictor of artery stiffness among middle age and older volunteers but not among the younger group. They also found that systolic blood pressure (the highest pressure that occurs when the heart contracts) was higher in poor flexibility than in high flexibility groups.
“These findings suggest a possibility that improving flexibility induced by the stretching exercise may be capable of modifying age-related arterial stiffening in middle-aged and older adults,” Yamamoto said. “We believe that flexibility exercises, such as stretching, yoga and Pilates, should be integrated as a new recommendation into the known cardiovascular benefits of regular exercise.”
However, there are other possibilities as to why bodily flexibility should be an indicator of arterial stiffness, including the possibility that the amount of collagen and elastin, which makes muscles flexible, also makes arteries flexible.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Beware of Belly Fat

Obesity is one of the most common health problems across the world. Belly fat or abdominal fat is the most common type of obesity. It results from various reasons such as menopause, genetics, stress, over-eating, lack of exercise, life style etc. Belly fat, which is otherwise known as visceral fat or spare tier, or potbelly, is common in both men and women. It spoils one’s appearance besides leading to many health problems such as type 2 diabetes, elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, high blood pressure. Various genetic, physical and mental factors are responsible for belly fat.
Stress :
Is one of the factors. Many researchers provide that when we are under stress, Cortisol, a hormone is released. It stimulates the fat storage around the belly. Moreover, when we are in stress, we tend to eat more which can lead to excess weight gain.
Slow Metabolism :
When our metabolic rate is slow, there is less and less burning of calories, and excess accumulation of fats. The metabolic rate can be increased with a nutritious and balanced diet and regular exercise.
Improper Digestion:
Now-a-days we hear people complaining of indigestion. Our life style is one of the causes for this. Sometimes we over eat our favourite food. It can lead to a number of gastro-intestinal problems such as gases and bloating. We also eat late at night, and most of often we end up with fatty, spicy and high calorie food. We go to bed immediately after meals. This habit also, especially after a sumptuous meal late at night, increases the risk of fat storage around the abdominal area. If you allow such a life style, and keep eating without any physical activity, you’re surely heading to obesity and belly fat. So it is essential to burn calories through exercises to maintain a healthy body weight.
Alcoholism :
Is another risky habit, as it decreases the rate of metabolism. Calories obtained from excess alcoholism are often stored around the abdominal area.
Menopause:
Is one of the main reasons for belly fat in women. After menopause many women tend to accumulate fat around the tummy due to hormonal changes. To reduce belly fat we should opt for special dietary regimen. Our diet should consist of properly balanced fiber, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. We should opt for strength training exercises and aerobic exercises like running, jogging and brisk walking. Aerobic exercises contribute a lot towards fat burning.
So in order to prevent belly fat we should follow a healthy life style, good diet balanced With regular exercises, and must be able to manage your stress by doing Meditation, Yoga and through Relaxation Therapies.


Beware of Belly Fat

Obesity is one of the most common health problems across the world. Belly fat or abdominal fat is the most common type of obesity. It results from various reasons such as menopause, genetics, stress, over-eating, lack of exercise, life style etc. Belly fat, which is otherwise known as visceral fat or spare tier, or potbelly, is common in both men and women. It spoils one’s appearance besides leading to many health problems such as type 2 diabetes, elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, high blood pressure. Various genetic, physical and mental factors are responsible for belly fat.
Stress :
Is one of the factors. Many researchers provide that when we are under stress, Cortisol, a hormone is released. It stimulates the fat storage around the belly. Moreover, when we are in stress, we tend to eat more which can lead to excess weight gain.
Slow Metabolism :
When our metabolic rate is slow, there is less and less burning of calories, and excess accumulation of fats. The metabolic rate can be increased with a nutritious and balanced diet and regular exercise.
Improper Digestion:
Now-a-days we hear people complaining of indigestion. Our life style is one of the causes for this. Sometimes we over eat our favourite food. It can lead to a number of gastro-intestinal problems such as gases and bloating. We also eat late at night, and most of often we end up with fatty, spicy and high calorie food. We go to bed immediately after meals. This habit also, especially after a sumptuous meal late at night, increases the risk of fat storage around the abdominal area. If you allow such a life style, and keep eating without any physical activity, you’re surely heading to obesity and belly fat. So it is essential to burn calories through exercises to maintain a healthy body weight.
Alcoholism :
Is another risky habit, as it decreases the rate of metabolism. Calories obtained from excess alcoholism are often stored around the abdominal area.
Menopause:
Is one of the main reasons for belly fat in women. After menopause many women tend to accumulate fat around the tummy due to hormonal changes. To reduce belly fat we should opt for special dietary regimen. Our diet should consist of properly balanced fiber, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. We should opt for strength training exercises and aerobic exercises like running, jogging and brisk walking. Aerobic exercises contribute a lot towards fat burning.
So in order to prevent belly fat we should follow a healthy life style, good diet balanced With regular exercises, and must be able to manage your stress by doing Meditation, Yoga and through Relaxation Therapies.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Smoke Signal

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 him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But
then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his
little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.
The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief
and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, 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 is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we
shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the
midst of pain and suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just
may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.

Two Brothers

There were once Two brothers who lived on the 80th level. On coming home one day, they realized to their dismay that the lifts were not working and that they have to climb the stairs home. After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided to abandon their bags and come back for them the next day. They left their bags then and climbed on.
When they have struggled to the 40th level, the younger brother started
to grumble and both of them began to quarrel. They continued to climb
the flights of steps, quarreling all the way to the 60th floor. They
then realized that they have only 20 levels more to climb and decided
to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace. They silently
climbed on and reached their home at long last. Each stood calmly
before the door and waited for the other to open the door. And they
realized that the key was in their bags which was left on the 20th
floor
This story is reflecting on our life...many of us live under the
expectations of our parents, teachers and friends when young. We seldom
get to do the things that we really like and love and are under so much
pressure and stress so that by the age of 20, we get tired and decided
to dump this load. Being free of the stress and pressure, we work
enthusiastically and dream ambitious wishes. But by the time we reach
40 years old, we start to lose our vision and dreams. We began to feel
unsatisfied and start to complain and criticize.
We live life as a misery as we are never satisfied. Reaching 60, we
realize that we have little left for complaining anymore, and we began
to walk the final episode in peace and calmness. We think that there is
nothing left to disappoint us, only to realize that we could not rest
in peace because we have an unfulfilled dream ...... a dream we
abandoned 60 years ago.
So what is your dream? Follow your dreams, so that you will not live
with regrets.

The Last Supper

Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist painted the Last Supper; and
the time engaged for it's completion was seven years. The figures
representing the twelve Apostles and Christ himself were painted from
living persons. The life-model for the painting of the figure of Jesus
was chosen first. When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this
great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed
in an endeavor to find a face and personality exhibiting innocence and
beauty, free from the scars and signs of dissipation caused by sin.
Finally, after weeks of laborious search, a young man nineteen years of
age, was selected as a model for the portrayal of Christ. For six
months DaVinci worked on the production of this leading character of
his famous painting.
During the next six years DaVinci continued his labors on this sublime
work of art. One by one fitting persons were chosen to represent each
of the eleven Apostles; space being left for the painting of the figure
representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece. This
was the Apostle, you remember, who betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces
of silver, worth in our present day currency $16.96.
For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard, callous face, with a
countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime; a
face that would delineate a character who would betray his best friend.
After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type of person
required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that a man whose
appearance fully met his requirements had been found in a dungeon in
Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.
Da Vinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out
from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the
sun. There DaVinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man; his long shaggy
and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, which betrayed a character of
viciousness and complete ruin. At last the famous painter had found the
person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting.
By special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan
where the picture was being painted. For months he sat before Da Vinci
at appointed hours each day as the gifted artist diligently continued
his task of transmitting, to his painting, this base character
representing the traitor and betrayer of our Savior. As he finished his
last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, "I have finished. You
may take the prisoner away."
As the guards were leading their prisoner away, he suddenly broke loose
from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so, "O,
Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?"
Da Vinci, with the trained eyes of a great character student, carefully
scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed for six
months and replied, "No, I have never seen you in my life until you
were brought before me out of the dungeon in Rome."
Then, lifting his eyes toward heaven, the prisoner said, "Oh, God, have
I fallen so low?" Then turning his face to the painter he cried,
"Leonardo DaVinci! Look at me again for I am the same man you painted
just seven years ago as the figure of Christ."
It teaches so strongly the lesson of the effects of right or wrong
thinking on the life of an individual. Here was a young man whose
character was so pure, unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he
represented a countenance of innocence and beauty fit to be used for
the painting of a representation of Christ.
But within seven years, following the thoughts of sin and a life of
crime, he was changed into a perfect picture of the most traitorous
character ever known in the history of the world.

Two Fishermen

Two men went fishing. One was an experienced fisherman, the other
wasn't. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put
it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced
fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced
fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing
the man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big
fish you catch?" he asked.
The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan."
Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throwback the big plans, big dreams,
big jobs, big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small.
We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was
a bigger frying pan, yet how ready are we to increase the size of our
faith?
Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you
anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk
into anything God brings our way.
REMEMBER:Stop telling God you've got big problems.Tell your problems you've got a BIG GOD!

Balance

Once the great Anthony of the Desert was relaxing with his disciples
outside his hut when a hunter came by. The hunter was surprised to see
Anthony relaxing, and rebuffed him for taking it easy. It was not his
idea of what a holy monk should be doing.
Anthony replied, "Bend your bow and shoot an arrow." And the hunter
did so. "Bend it again and shoot another arrow," said Anthony. The
hunter did so, again and again.
The hunter finally said, "Abba Anthony, if I keep my bow always
stretched, it will break."
So it is with the monk," replied Anthony. "If we push ourselves beyond
measure, we will break. It is right from time to time to relax our
efforts."

Are You Ready?

In her book Teaching a Stone to Talk (New York: Harper Collins, 1988)
Annie Dillard reveals a sad, but poignant story about what happens when
we set out unprepared. She tells of a British Arctic expedition, which
set sail in 1845 to chart the Northwest Passage around the Canadian
Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. Neither of the two ships and none of the
138 men aboard returned.
Captain Sir John Franklin prepared as if they were embarking on a
pleasure cruise rather than an arduous and grueling journey through one
of earth's most hostile environments. He packed a 1,200-volume library,
a hand organ, China place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine
goblets and sterling silver flatware, beautifully and intricately
designed. Years later, some of these place settings would be found near
a clump of frozen, cannibalized bodies.
The voyage was doomed when the ships sailed into frigid waters and
became trapped in ice. First ice coated the decks, the spars and the
rigging. Then water froze around the rudders and the ships became
hopelessly locked in the now-frozen sea.
Sailors set out to search for help, but soon succumbed to severe
Arctic weather and died of exposure to its harsh winds and sub-freezing
temperatures. For some twenty years, remains of the expeditions were
found all over the frozen landscape.
The crew did not prepare either for the cold or for the eventuality of
the ships becoming ice-locked. On a voyage, which was to last two to
three years, they packed only their Navy-issue uniforms and the captain
carried just a 12-day supply of coal for the auxiliary steam engines.
The frozen body of an officer was eventually found, miles from the
vessel, wearing his uniform of fine blue cloth, edged with silk braid,
a blue greatcoat and a silk neckerchief -- clothing which was noble and
respectful, but wholly inadequate.
Historians may doubt the wisdom of such an ill-prepared journey. But
more important for us is the question, "Are we, too, prepared for the
lengthy voyage we've embarked upon, that journey we call "life"? Have
we made ourselves ready for all that will surely await us?
Physically and mentally, are we prepared to handle what may come? Do
we regularly stay fit through daily study and exercise? Will our minds
and bodies be ready to cope with challenges, which will arise?
Emotionally and spiritually, are we ready? Do we practice such virtues
as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness,
goodness and self-control? Will we be emotionally and spiritually ready
to embrace an unknown future?
To embark on a journey unprepared can set us up for disastrous
results. But the good news is, we can still prepare for ours. And in
large part, the success of our voyage will be determined by our regular
and systematic preparation.
Are you ready?

The Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write." The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

Two Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied... "Things aren't always what they seem".The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "how could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die."
"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Fascinating Facts

Of the 22 bones connected by joints in your scull, only one can move – the one in your lower jaw, which permits you to talk, laugh and chew food.

The hairs of a man’s beard are about as strong as copper wires of the same dimension.

The temperature of the heat wave that is generated by the re-entry of a space capsule into earth’s atmosphere, is the same as the temperature on the surface of the sun, about 6,000 Deg.C.

You need 120 drops of water to fill a teaspoon.

In the lower depths of the oceans the water pressure is so great that a bottle dropped from the surface would be broken before it reached the bottom.

One of the candidates who failed at his first attempt to pass the entrance examinations for the Federal Polytechnic of Zurich was a young man named Albert Einstein.

Experiments with ants have shown that they are capable of lifting stones fifty times their own weight and pulling loads three hundred times their own weight.

A single drop of water contains one hundred billion billion atoms.

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, is the largest mosque in the world and can accommodate 1000,000 in the courtyard, where services are held. It was built in 1671.

Of all the world’s major languages, English has the largest vocabulary about 800,000 words.

The human body contains enough phosphorus to make the heads of 2000 matches, enough fat for seven bars of soap and enough iron to make one nail.

The complete skin covering of the body measures about 20 square feet.

The world’s largest animal is the Sulphur bottom whale which has been known to measure 150 feet in length and thirty feet in girth.

Muhammed Ali is the only man to have twice regained the World Heavyweight boxing title.

The letter most in use in the English language is the letter “E” and the letter “Q” is used the least.

Contrary to popular belief alcohol does not warm the body but reduces body heat rapidly.

Every minute, twelve cars are manufactured in the USA.

Turtles have no teeth.

If goldfish are left in a darkroom for a long period, they will frequently turn white.

The Ostrich is the largest of living birds. It stands eight feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds.

In 24 Hours, average healthy adult breaths 23,000 times.

All mammals, except man and monkey are colour blind.

The centre of the earth is almost 4000 miles beneath our feet.

You can see the stars from the bottom of a well even in daylight.

The largest ship in the world is a French oil tanker that is nearly 415 metres long, almost as long as Sydney harbour bridge.

Beethoven was half deaf most of his life. He was completely deaf when he composed his greatest work, the Ninth Symphony.

Holland has the densest population per square mile of any nation in the world.

A wingless orthopteran insect can survive in a frozen state in the Arctic for months, but dies if exposed to the warmth of a human hand.

A kangaroo can hop at an estimated speed of 41 km per hour.

Salt was once a very precious commodity, so much so that many people were paid their wages in salt, hence the word ‘SALARY’

The lowest valued note in the world is the Hong Kong 1 cent note of which 1,200
Equal f 1.00

From A Tear To A Smile

Looking down at the cemetery plot, I could only feel tears streaming
down my face. My grandmother had just passed away at the age of 96,
almost 97. People were constantly saying to me, "...but she lived a
full and long life;" however, at that moment none of those statements
really mattered. I only felt a sense of loss - a huge one at that.Still, with my eyes on the grave, with tears welling up, I began
remembering my grandmother. I could even begin seeing what I thought
might be shadows of her in the cemetery grave. I thought I was also
experiencing the wonderful scents of her kitchen - the aroma of her
wonderful chicken soup that filled her pots every Friday afternoon and
the fragrance of the sizzling potato pancakes which always had been my
favorites.Just then I remembered a story about my grandmother when she was in the
hospital one time, already in her late 80's. She was in a special
hospital room for an x-ray to be taken. The technician left the room
ready to turn the x-ray machine on; however, my grandmother started
screaming, "WAIT, WAIT!"The technician stormed back into the room frantically asking, "Mrs.
Segal, Mrs. Segal, are you okay? What's the matter?"To this my almost 90-year-old grandmother calmly replied, "You failed
to ask me whether I might be pregnant."That, and many more positive stories about my grandmother, told me who
she really was. As I stood at the cemetery, I noticed that my tears had
changed to smiles.The key, I believe, to overcoming grief is in "memories." As long as I
remember my grandmother in my heart, she will always be "with me."As the funeral ended, I whispered to my grandmother that I loved her
very much and would visit her soon - if not at the cemetery, then in my
memories.

The Rope

A story is told about a mountain climber who liked to climb tall mountains for fun and to impress his friends. After years of preparation and training he felt he could handle any mountain terrain in the world, regardless of the degree of difficulty.
During a climbing trip, with five other men, he decided he would make the final climb to the summit, solo, so he could get there first and claim the glory, while the others slept. After the rest of the climbing party turned-in for the night, he put on his climbing gear and headed toward the summit. As he started his climb, he was very glad there was a full moon to help him see where he was going.
Although it was foolish to climb at night, alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton protection as he climbed. With the benefit of the full moon, he made rapid progress up the mountain, in spite of the fact he was climbing at night. His confidence soared as he neared the summit, but unfortunately, thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain, and visibility was deteriorating rapidly, as a winter storm developed. In just a few minutes visibility dropped to almost zero, as heavy clouds and fog surrounded him. It was now too late to turn back, so he continued to climb up the mountain, hoping the storm would blow by quickly.
While moving along a narrow traverse, now in total darkness, he got into some "rotten rock," and slid down the side of the ridge and over the edge of a cliff. The good news is the protection he put in held, and he was still alive after the fall; although he now found himself dangling in the air, suspended from his rope, unable to see anything around him. The bad news is, he had loosely tied his outer heavy parka across the top of his backpack while he was climbing, and he now discovered he had lost it during the fall. Slowly the cold night air from the storm began to chill him to the bone through his lightweight inner jacket. After struggling to turn himself around in a circle, and not finding anything to grab onto, in desperation he cried out, "Oh dear God in Heaven, please help me!"
Suddenly, from above he heard a strong deep voice boom out, "Cut the rope!" "What?!" As the climber listened over the wind, once again he heard a deep voice say, "Cut the rope!"
Except for the wind, silence followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, while hoping to be able to grab onto something that would enable him to climb to safety. Unable to see his true situation, the climber concluded, as most people would, that hanging onto the rope was his only hope.
The following day, the rest of his climbing party discovered him frozen to death, still dangling from his rope -- only eight feet above a large out-cropping of rock. Had the climber cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a relatively safe area, where he could have built a fire, using some of the surrounding scrub brush, and probably survived the night.
From this tragic, hopefully fictional story, we can learn about trusting God. Do you look for security in a "rope" of some form? Or, are you willing to trust God with the many things in life beyond your knowledge or control?

PEARLS OF WISDOM

Next to love, sympathy is the divinest passion of the human.

Whoever pursues Godliness and unfailing love, will find life interesting.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

People who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have.

Give thanks for the joy and happiness in life and trust that God does indeed wants us to be happy.

Our forgiveness must be total and complete. When you forgive, make sure that you forget.

A single hour spent with a good book and a cup of tea can provide an entire day’s worth of contentment.

Don’t despair when the going gets rough, for that’s when you discover how strong you really are?

You have the power to make happiness a way of life, instead of an occasional experience.

Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon man.

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts and deeds.

We are made richer and more beautiful by the reflection of our thoughts and actions.

Before you taste anything, recite a blessing.

Prayer opens your heart until it is big enough to hold and keep God.

God is not a power residing in the clouds. God is unseen power residing within us and nearer to us than finger-nail to flesh. – Mahathma Gandhi.

God is like us to this extent, that whatever in us is good is like God.

Do not say any thing harsh, what you have said will be said back to you.

Divine love always has met and always will meet every human need.

If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading , or do things worth writing. – Benjamin Franklin.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy and to love.

The sooner we come to understand that things can be done without our assistance, the sooner we reach our philosophy of life.
The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity in your life is where you are right now. Properly perceived, every situation becomes an opportunity for you.

No man is an island, every man is a piece of continent, a part of the main.

Life is too short to wakeup in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it, if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it’d be easy; they just promised it would be worth it.

Great men are they who see that spiritual force is stronger than material force, that thoughts rule the world.

Know that what is truly yours cannot be taken from you.

Your heart is the only place in which you can meet God face to face.

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Good thoughts will produce good actions and bad thoughts will produce bad actions.

Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love.

Prayer, if not the very gate of heaven, is the key to let us into its holiness and joys.

A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.

God is far beyond any blessing or song, any honour or any consolation that can be spoken of in this world.

Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness.

If you believe you can do something, then you can acquire the ability to do it even if you didn’t have it in the beginning.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Whenever you enter into it, take with you your all.

There is a force within that gives you life, seek that; in your body there lies a priceless jewel, and seek that.

If you are in search of the greatest treasure, don’t look outside, look within, and seek that.

There is no place to which we could flee from God which is outside God.

Make the best use of what is in your power and take the rest as it happens.

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of soul.

The soul of one who loves God always swims in joy and always is in a mood for singing.

There is for each man, perfect self-expression. There is a place which he is to fill, some things he is to do, it is his destiny.

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.

It is true that we don’t know what we’ve got until we lose it, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

10 Things GOD won't Ask

1 ...God won't ask what kind of car you drove; He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't havetransportation.
2...God won't ask the square footage of your house,He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3...God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4...God won't ask what your highest salary was,He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtainit.
5...God won't ask what your job title was,He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6...God won't ask how many friends you had,He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived,He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8...God won't ask about the color of your skin,He'll ask about the content of your character.
9... God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation,He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
10...God won't ask how many people you forwarded this to,He'll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to yourfriends.
Read Carefully
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Memorable Quotes

1) Never expect things to happen. Struggle and make them happen. Never expect yourself to be given a good value, create a value of your own
2) If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shines like a pearl. So choose the best place where you would shine.
3) Falling down is not defeat but defeat is when your refuse to get up...
4) Ship is always safe at shore... but is not built for it
5) When you are successful, your well wishers know who you are. When you are unsuccessful you know who your well wishers are.
6) It is great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell his/her
7) "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world
8) "Even the word 'IMPOSSIBLE' says 'I M POSSIBLE' "
9) Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

White House Facts

* Though Barack Obama is the first Black occupant of the White House, the mansion has a far older Afro-American connection. It was built by Black labourers, both slave and free.
* There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases and 3 elevators.
* The kitchen's open-hearth fireplace was replaced by a cooking stove in 1801. Today it has 5 full-time chefs. It can serve dinner to 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1000 people.
* To cover the outer surface of the White House requires 570 gallons of paint.
* Electricity was installed in 1891. The House acquired its first electric refrigeratotr in 1926 and air-conditioning in 1933.
* Central Heating System was fitted in 1837 and running hot water piped into the first family's second floor bathroom in 1853; first hydraulic elevator in 1881, the first electric elevator in 1898.

How Much Do You Make In An Hour?

A boy asked his father, "How much do you make in a hour?The father got mad and answered roughly, "Don't bother me."He was tired and irritable after a tough day at work, but the boyinsisted. "Please, how much do you make?"The father said in a bad tone of voice, "$8.00 dollars for now."Then his son asked, "Father can you loan me four dollars?"The father said to him in a bad way, "I told you not to bother me,shut up and go to your room!"At bedtime the father was more calmed and felt bad about the wayhe treated his son. He went upstairs to his son's room andasked, "Are you asleep?" And he gave to the boy the fourdollars that he asked for.The boy thanked his father, put his hand under his pillow,pulled out four crumpled dollars, and said, "I have $8.00dollars, father could I buy one hour of your time."
~Author Unknown~

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Position or Performance?

A Priest dies & is awaiting his turn in line at the Heaven's Gates.
Ahead of him is a guy, nattily dressed, in dark sun glasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket & jeans.God asks him: Please tell me who are you, so that I may know whether to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven or not?
The guy replies: I am Seenu, Auto driver from Mangalore !God consults his ledger, smiles & says to Seenu: Please take this silken robe & gold scarf & enter the Kingdom of Heaven ..
Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a booming voice: I am Pope's Assistant so & so, Head Priest of the so & so Church for the last 40 years.God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...
'Just a minute,' says the agonized Priest. 'How is it that a foul mouthed, rash driving Auto Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a Priest, who's spent his whole life preaching your Name & goodness has to make do with a Cotton robe?'
'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.
'While you preached, people SLEPT; but when he drove his Auto, people PRAYED.'
Moral of the story:
It's PERFORMANCE & not POSITION that ultimately counts.

Lesson from a Turtle

There was a boy who found a terrapin, more commonly known as a turtle.He started to examine it but the turtle pulled in its head and closed its shell like a vice.The boy was upset and he picked up a stick to try to pry it open.
The boy's uncle saw all this and remarked, "No, that's not the way! In fact, you may kill the turtle but you'll not get it to open up with a stick."The uncle took the terrapin into the house and set it near the fireplace.It wasn't but a few minutes until it began to get warm. Then the turtle pushed out its head,then stretched out its legs and began to crawl. "Turtles are like that," said the uncle, "and people, too.
You can't force them into anything. But if you first warm them up with some real kindness,more than likely, they will do what you want them to do."

Monday, October 12, 2009

Don't Change The World

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money.
Then one of his wise servant dared himself to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money ? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet ?"
The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself.
There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story : to make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world.

Rudy's Angel

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 37 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 three yellow roses in his hands. He knew I loved yellow roses.
With a heart full of 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 and a little more thought than it had for two. Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect 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 and dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go but once again reached for the package 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 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. I finally decided on a quart 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 first saw 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 and what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I could only watch 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.

The Secret

One day, one friend asked another, "How is it that you are always so happy? You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down."With her eyes smiling, she said, "I know the Secret!""What secret is that?"To which she replied, "I'll tell you all about it, but you have to promise to share the Secret with others.""The Secret is this:I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy.I must depend on God to make me happy and to meet my needs. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches.I have learned most of the time I don't need half of what I think I do.He has never let me down.Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy."The questioner's first thought was, "That's too simple!"But upon reflecting over her own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn't! She thought a better paying job would make her happy, but it hadn't.When did she realize her greatest happiness?Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, playing games, eating pizza or reading a story, a simple gift from God.
Now you know it too!We can't depend on people to make us happy.Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.Trust HIM!
And now I pass the Secret on to you! So once you get it, what will you do?YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too!That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU!But it's not really a secret...We just have to believe it and do it... Really trust God!