YOU ARE SO BLESSED

If you woke up this morningwith more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the
million who won't survive the week.


If you have never experienced
the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people
around the world.

If you can attend a pray meeting
without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.


If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back, a roof over
your head and a place to sleep,
you are richer than 75% of this world.

ABOUT FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. ~William Arthur Ward

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese

If you can't forgive and forget, pick one. ~Robert Brault

You can make up a quarrel, but it will always show where it was patched. ~Edgar Watson Howe, Country Town Sayings, 1911

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. ~William Blake, Jerusalem

 

I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. ~Mark Twain

Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. ~Marlene Dietrich

TEACHER

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~ William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)

"The great teacher is not the man who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


"A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops." ~ Henry Adams (1838-1918)

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." ~ Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

What a Teacher Makes

A group of dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One of the men, a wealthy CEO, decided to voice his negative opinion about education.

He remarked, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided the best option in life was to become a teacher? Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

Then he turned to one of the guests and said, "You're a teacher, Susan. Be honest. What do you make?"

Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I can make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like an interrogation if the student did not do his or her very best.

You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder.

I make them question. I make them think with a critical mind and search for difficult answers.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them write.

I make them read, and read, and read.

I make kids listen... to hear my words as well as the love and caring behind my words.

I make them grow in integrity, humility, and faith by sharing values that will bring them authentic happiness throughout their lives.

I elevate them to experience music and art and the joy in performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments.

I make them understand that God gave them brains so that they can follow their hearts.

And I make sure they know that if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

You want to know what I make? I make a difference!"

SHOPPING IN HEAVEN

As I was walking down life's highway many years ago I came upon a sign that read Heavens Grocery Store. When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide

And when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere One handed me a basket and said "My child shop with care."
Everything a human needed was in that grocery store.
And what you could not carry you could come back for more.

First I got some Patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding,
you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity of course, I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss Some Faith, it was all over the place.

And then some Strength and Courage to help me run this race.
My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.


Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill.
For I thought I had everything to do the Masters will.
As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel "Now how much do I owe?"
He smiled and said "Just take them everywhere you go."
Again I asked "Really now, How much do I owe?"
"My child" he said, "God paid your bill a long long time ago."

This poem has been sent to you with love and for Blessings.
It originated in the Netherlands and has been around the world 9 times.

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam.

He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me." "Sure," they replied,
"we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting.He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us." "I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

THE TRUE VINE

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.