Please Read for Inspiration Part 2

[best]

I wish to thank all who have posted the wonderful inspirational posts here. I have enjoyed reading them and as you can see by the amount of hits the thread has, others have also enjoyed them.
This is the new Please Read for Inspiration thread. Please add new posts here as the old thread has filled and been locked.
Thank you

[cwohio]

"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Take a nap every afternoon. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the styrofoam cup -- they all die. So do we.

Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.

Or, if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are -- when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together." (Robert Fulghum "All I really Need to Know I learned In Kindergarten", Villard Books N.Y. 1988, pp. 6-8)

Isn't that something?

It's a touching, beautiful, and poignant piece because it is so profoundly true. We all know that the early years of a child are so important. Our attitudes, our personalities, our values, our habits, our principles -- perhaps above all, our self-esteem -- and to some degree, our IQ's, are shaped powerfully by what happens to us in the first years of early childhood.

So, what foundations are we to lay for the house we are building in our families. I recently came across a word from Sister Corita which I propose as an answer. Sister Corita is a Catholic nun who had an unusual ministry some years ago. I haven't heard of her in a long time. But back in the 60's and 70's, she was known all over the nation. She was an artist who designed and printed serographs – poster-like art that used common goods to grab our attention and communicate the Gospel -- Graphic drawings of loaves of bread, dancing trees, cans of soup combined with powerful words colorfully and dramatically presented witnessed to God's grace. Posters were her way of witnessing to God's grace. Her posters were very popular and communicated the Gospel in a mind-grabbing, heart- touching way. One of those posters carried this message: "There are three things that keep life from being so daily -- to make love, to make believe, and to make hope with the everyday common stuff and people around us."

Isn't that it? The answer to keeping life from being so daily -- but far more than that -- this is what mothers and fathers are to do with children in the home: Make love, make believe, and make hope.

1. Make Love.

2. Make Believe.

3. Make Hope.

[cwohio]

If we are to encounter God truthfully in prayer, we must be real to ourselves. We need to be aware of what we are feeling. A mother will see her son come in from school, and know from his face and body-language that he is depressed, or resentful, or anxious, or whatever. If she asks him how he is, he is likely to say Fine. Most mothers will have the intuition and wit to lead him gently to put words on what he is feeling, and then to trace the happenings that led him to this state, such as a failure in school, a quarrel with a friend or worry about an exam. I remember a girl in school startling me – when I was a teacher – by asking Why are you angry today? She was right, but up to that point I had not realised that I was angry.

It is only when we are in touch with what is going on inside us that we can come before the Lord. Then I can experience the real me connecting with the real God. It is not a case of apologising for my emotions. They are as pre-moral and innocent as feeling cold or shivery. When I bring those feelings to consciousness, as the Psalmist does with his anger and despair, then prayer become authentic.

[cwohio]

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Recipe for a Miracle

1 cup Tension
2 cups Stress
1 ½ teaspoons of Guilt
2 heaping cups of Limited Time
3/4 tablespoon of Urgency
A dash of "No Other Choice"
3 heaping cups of Faith

Fold ingredients gently into a bowl. Mix vigorously and add a few tears. You'll sweat a little as you knead the dough. Pack it firmly between your hopes and dreams and form into a perfect little
ball. Sprinkle it with a little faith (I recommend Hebrews 11), rolling the ball in the flour until fully covered.

Place it under a veil of belief and allow it to rise.

Put it in an oven that has been pre-set at the perfect temperature for the heat of trials and tribulations.

Allow it to brown under the warmth of God's love. Remove after due season and allow to cool in the confidence of His promise.

Garnish with your praises. Arrange neatly on a platter of thankfulness and serve to friends, families
and, oh yes, strangers . . . invite them too!

Pass on the recipe to all who request it and let them know that with this recipe, they have the makings of a miracle!

- Unknown Author

[cwohio]

I lift these hands, dear God, to You,
in praise and thanks for all you do.
You light the path through all my days
and bless me with your loving ways...

I lift these hands dear God, to You,
in troubled hours when joys are few.
You bear me up on eagles' wings and see
me through each test life brings.

I lift these hands, dear God, to You,
please grant me wisdom, patience, too.
Then fill my heart with love and caring,
precious gifts you've made for sharing.

poet - emily matthews

[cwohio]

Waiting For The Wind...



My nephew's 10 year old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I was enticing him to stay inside by joining him in a nintendo game. After being mercilessly defeated by a more experienced player, I suggested that we relax awhile. I collapsed into my favorite recliner to let my neck muscles relax and my ego recover from such a beating. He had slipped out of the room and I was catching a few relished moments of peace and quiet.

"Look, Alice," he said enthusiastically as he ran over to the chair where I was recovering.

"I found a kite. Could we go outside and fly it?"

Glancing out a nearby window, I noticed there was not a breeze stirring. "I'm sorry, Tripper," I said, sad to see his disappointed eyes, but thankful for the respite from more activity. "The wind is not blowing today. The kite won't fly."

The determined 10 year old replied. "I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly," he answered, as he hurried out the back door. I peeked through the slats in the venetian blinds to watch determination in action. Up and down the yard he ran, pulling the kite attached to a small length of string. The plastic kite, proudly displaying a picture of Batman, remained about shoulder level. He ran back and forth, as hard as his ten year old legs would carry him, looking back hopefully at the kite trailing behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful determination, he came back in.

I asked, "How did it go?"

"Fine," he said, not wanting to admit defeat. "I got it to fly some."

As he walked past me to return the kite to the closet shelf, I heard him say under his breath, "I guess I'll have to wait for the wind."

At that moment I heard another Voice speak to my heart. "Alice. Sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way instead of waiting for the Wind."

And the voice was right. How easy it is to use our own efforts to accomplish what we want to do. We wait for the Wind only after we have done all we can and have exhausted our own strength. We must learn how to rely on Him in the first place!


by: Alice (Anon.)

[cwohio]

You could see Jesus’ life as a struggle against sickness and death. He was a healer, and reached out to cure the pains that disabled people, so that they could forget their sickness and enjoy, as he said, more abundant life, like Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. When Jesus cured her of a fever, she got up and made the tea. Pious people with a headache sometimes offer up the pain and continue talking about it. Better to take an aspirin and get on with the job.

Pain and sickness are obviously bad, something to be fought and resisted. Yet the Lord touches us through them, and a time comes when we can no longer feel God’s touch in prayer, but we sense how he is shaping us through our suffering. It is remarkable how many people find the grace to seek whatever help medicine can offer, and then to accept the remaining pain as the background of a peaceful existence – and without talking about it. Remember the prayer of the old nun: Lord, keep my mind free from the recital of endless details – give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains – they are interesting, and my love of rehearsing them becomes sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

[cwohio]

The Alphabet Prayer
Author Unknown


Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with man. Now the story goes, a little shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning and he heard the bells of the church ringing. And watching the people walk along the pasture where he was, he happened to think to himself, "I would like to communicate with God! But, what can I say to God?"

He had never learned a prayer. So, on bended knee, he began to recite the alphabet. Repeating this prayer several times, a man passing by, heard the boy's voice and peaked through the bushes. He saw the young boy kneeling with folded hands, eyes closed, repeating the alphabet.

He interrupted the boy. "What are you doing, my little one?" he asked. The boy replied, "I was praying sir." The man seemed surprised and said, "But why are you reciting the alphabet?" The boy explained, "I don't know any prayers, sir. But I want God to take care of me, and to help me care for my sheep. And so I thought, if I said all I knew, He could put the letters together into words, and He would know all that I want and should say!"

The man smiled and said, "Bless your heart, God will!" And he went on to church knowing full well that he had heard the finest sermon he could possibly hear that day.

Maybe if we thought like little children and let God put together the letters, what we should want, and what we should say, things would probably work out a lot better than we planned!!!

[cmc]

thanks!
It's kind of like "Thy will be done!"
Sometimes I just sit before Him and say:"Lord, it's me again." And that is all I need to do.

[cwohio]

it's strange - i was having a tearful pause with my co-worker about some family things to do with my late husband. she said, "you know where to go" and i said, "i'm sure the Lord is getting really tired of me coming to Him so much" - but you know - He's not EVER going to tire of hearing us, in fact, He wants us to come to Him for EVERYTHING!

[best]

There are days I will read these posts and think....ahh what a nice story.
there are days...like today... I read these posts and they shout lessons to me.

Thank you Christie

[cwohio]

The Lord in the Tree
~ Alan Cohen ~

"Two men were walking in a field when a bull charged them.
One man scampered up a tree while the other stood defiantly
in the bull's path. 'Get up here, you idiot!' called the man in
the branches.

'The Lord will protect me!' retorted the other man.

The bull butted the man vehemently and went on his way
triumphantly, leaving the obstinate fellow dazed and confused.
The first man came down from the tree to help his bruised friend.

'I thought for sure the Lord would help me!' complained the
injured man.

'He tried,' answered his friend. 'Didn't you hear Him calling you
from the tree?'

A request for help from an unseen power often manifests itself
through earthly channels. God's wonders are not restricted to
supernatural miracles. Often miracles occur through people and
tangible messages here on earth.

If you are looking for an answer to a question or problem, you
may receive it through physical means. Someone may hand you a
book, invite you to a lecture, or speak a phrase that resonates
within you. You may feel a tingling in your spine, get goose bumps,
or simply feel a sense of clarity or fulfillment. Be sensitive to your
feelings and energies when such a sign is presented. The word
'angel' means 'messenger,' and your message may come anytime
through any means. Stay awake to listen!

[cwohio]

Three young men were once given three kernels of corn apiece by a wise old sage, who admonished them to go out into the world, and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune.

The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of hot broth and ate them. The second thought, I can do better than that, and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn for three meals.

The third man said to himself, I can do better than that! He also planted his three kernels of corn, but when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the stalks and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second stalk of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third. His one full stalk's worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a bare minimum to eat. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden but purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden's father. And he never hungered again.




The more you give, the more you get. However, that should NOT be the reason for your giving.

Proverbs 11:24 NLT
It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything.

Proverbs 11:25 NLT
The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.


[ Author unknown -- from 'Guidewords' -- Ed:anon. ]

[cmc]

This is great! It describes the theory behind compound interest perfectly!!! It is a more detailed version of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30
thanks

[cwohio]

~Unknown~




Once upon a time a little candle stood in a room filled with other candles, most of them much larger and much more beautiful than she was. Some were ornate and some were rather simple, like herself. Some were white, some were blue, some were pink, some were green. She had no idea why she was there, and the other candles made her feel rather small and insignificant.

When the sun went down and the room began to get dark, she noticed a large man walking toward her with a ball of fire on a stick. She suddenly realized that the man was going to set her on fire. "No, no!!" she cried, "Aaaaagghhh! Don't burn me, please!" But she knew that she could not be heard and prepared for the pain that would surely follow.

To her surprise, the room filled with light. She wondered where it came from since the man had extinguished his fire stick. To her delight, she realized that the light came from herself.

Then the man struck another fire stick and, one by one, lit the other candles in the room. Each one gave out the same light that she did.

During the next few hours, she noticed that, slowly, her wax began to flow. She became aware that she would soon die. With this realization came a sense of why she had been created. "Perhaps my purpose on earth is to give out light until I die," she mused. And that's exactly what she did.

God created you and I to produce light in a dark world. Like that little candle, we all can produce the same amount of light, no matter how small we are or what color we might be. But we can't produce light until we receive it from an outside source. That source is Jesus Christ, the light of the world.


Addendum -- Matthew 5:16 (NIV) "'In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven'."

[cwohio]

When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near an old copper smelter, and the sulfur dioxide that poured out of the refinery had made a desolate wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. Paul vowed that some day he would bring back the life to this land.

Many years later Paul was in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans to bring the trees back. The answer was "No." He asked them if they would let him try to bring the trees back. Again, the answer was "No." They didn't want him on their land. After praying about the matter, Paul realized he needed to become more knowledgeable before anyone would listen to him, so he went to college to study botany.

At the college he met a professor who was an expert in Utah's ecology. Unfortunately, Paul was told that the wasteland he wanted to bring back was beyond hope. He was told that his goal was foolish because even if he planted trees, and even if they grew, the wind would only blow the seeds forty feet per year, and that's all you'd get because there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds, and the seeds from those trees would need another thirty years before they started producing seeds of their own. Therefore, it would take approximately twenty thousand years to revegitate that six-square-mile piece of earth. His teachers told him it would be a waste of his life to try to do it. It just could not be done.

So he tried to go on with his life. He got a job operating heavy equipment, got married, and had some kids. However, as a good Christian, he knew that "faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). So, he kept studying about the subject, and prayed for guidance on the matter. Then one night he felt led to take action by faith alone. He would do what he could, and trust God to do the rest. This was an important turning point.

Samuel Johnson wrote, "It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. In the same manner, present opportunities are neglected and attainable good is slighted by minds busied in extensive ranges." Paul stopped busying his mind in extensive ranges and looked at what opportunities for attainable good were right in front of him. Who among us hasn't wondered what God wants us to do in our life here on earth? Under the cover of darkness, Paul sneaked out into the wasteland with a backpack of seedlings and started planting. For seven hours he planted seedlings.

He did it again a week later. And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and shrubs and grass. But most of it died. Like so many of our hopes and dreams. However, Paul had faith, and kept planting.

For fifteen years he did this. When a whole valley of his fir seedlings burned to the ground because of a careless sheep-herder, Paul broke down and wept. Have any of you had this kind of set-back in your life? I sure have! But Paul got up, and kept planting.

Freezing winds and blistering heat, landslides and floods and fires destroyed his work time and time again. But he kept planting. One night he found a highway crew had come and taken tons of dirt for a road grade, and all the plants he painstakingly planted in that area were gone. I don't know about you, but this sounds like the way things have gone in my life. Time for some major prayers. Then Paul kept planting.

Week after week, year after year he kept at it, against the opinion of the authorities, against the trespassing laws, against the devastation of road crews, against the wind and rain and heat... even against plain common sense. He just kept planting.

Slowly, very slowly, things began to take root. Then gophers appeared. Then rabbits. Then porcupines. The copper smelter eventually gave him permission, and later, as times were changing and there was political pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing. They even provided him with machinery and crews to work with. Progress accelerated.

Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees, grass, bushes, as well as all kinds of wildlife. Paul has now received almost every environmental award Utah has. He says, "I thought that if I got this started, when I was dead and gone people would come and see it. I never thought I'd live to see it myself!"

It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.

What was/is it you want to do, that you think is impossible? Paul's story sure gives a perspective on things, doesn't it?

The way you get something accomplished in this world is to trust God for guidance, and just keep planting. He will show you the way if you have faith, and keep working. Just keep plugging away at it one day at a time for a long time, no matter who criticizes or laughs at you, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times you fall. Get back up again, keep trusting God, and just keep planting.


Addendum -- Mark 9:23 "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes'."



[ Anonymous ]

[cmc]

Thank you for sharing! Funny how I was just here right before you posted this inspirational story- and I was hoping that you would come by!!!
This one is very timely for me and I think I will print it out and share it with some friends of mine.
It certainly addresses the importance of following your heart, and not letting setbacks get in the way of progress. I love it!

[cwohio]

i don't post on here as often as i used to - sometimes it's a challenge to find different stories that "speak" to me.

God leads us where we need to go, doesn't He?

[cwohio]

The Onion

I was an onion before Christ set me free.
Layers upon layers of iniquity.
An ugly old onion whose fragrance was strong;
That my Jesus bought and loved all along.

Unknown to me what He was going to do.
Of what He was planning, I had not a clue.
Pulling each layer off one by one.
In order to make me more like Jesus the Son.

The first layer wasn't so bad.
I saw all the sins that I knew I had.
They were easy to fix, just change the way I talk.
And learn more of how He wanted me to walk.

Reading His Word, and learning again;
How to put aside my life of sin.
But the next layer was pulled which hurt more.
He was getting closer to the core.

Unknown what He would find there.
I simply gave it to Him in prayer.
As another layer was removed, He started to cry;
Pulling this layer brought pain to my Father on High.

And I was crying over the sadness I felt;
The brokenness and all of the guilt.
Past memories that I thought were gone;
They were buried under layers disguised in a fragrance so strong.

As onions peel more and more;
And they put tears in our eyes as we get close to the core;
So my father wept over my pain;
Giving me a balm of comfort and strength to sustain.

"NO MORE LAYERS." I would scream.
As he continued to peel them off of me.
"I'll have nothing left my Lord, what will I do?
I'll be nothing but a worthless core to you. "

But He just said "Trust me," and continued to peel
I was sure He was blinded to my pain that was so real.
Year after year I shrunk more and more;
Until all that was left of this onion was a core.

It was then that I began to understand;
As the Lord embraced me in His loving hand.
He said, now and only now can you be;
The creation that will minister before me.

Clothed with the righteousness only from above;
Gone are your layers of self so you can be filled with my love.
He took my layers of sin, hurt and pain;
And clothed me with love, truth and mercy in His name.

Yes, we are all onions, learning with each day;
How to overcome as each layer is taken away.
Some layers tear and pull at our heart;
While others grieve us to our innermost part.

But we are nothing but an ugly onion without Christ.
Layers upon layers of pride, sin and strife.
Only God can take those layers away.
And clothe us with His righteousness in that final day.


~Author Unknown~

[cmc]

That is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it with us here.
I hope that every time I peel an onion I will remember this poem.

[cwohio]

A Late Bloomer

A cactus stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck
in the middle of nowhere.
"I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I?
I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines are thick and
prickly, my leaves are rubbery and tough, my skin is thick and
bumpy. I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler.
I don't see that I'm any use at all."
All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and
fatter. Its spines grew longer and its leaves tougher, and it
swelled here and there until it was lumpy and lopsided all over. It
truly was strange-looking.
"I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.
By day hawks circled high overhead.
"What can I do with my life?" the cactus called. Whether they heard
or not, the hawks sailed away.
At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on
the desert floor.
"What good can I do with my life?" the cactus called. The moon only
stared coldly as it mounted its course.
A lizard crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its
tail.
"What worthy deed can I do?" the cactus called.
"You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed? Why, you
can't do anything! The hawks circle way overhead, tracing delicate
patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern
at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I,
the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with
these beautiful brushstrokes as I pull my tail along. Buy you? You
do nothing but get uglier every day."
And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old,
and it knew its time was short.
"Oh, Lord," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so
hard. Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. I
fear that now it's too late."
But just then the cactus felt a strange stirring and unfolding, and
it knew a surge of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip,
like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.
Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance perfumed
the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The
butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the
moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.
The cactus heard a voice.
"You have waited long," the Lord said. "The heart that seeks to do
good reflects My glory, and will always bring something worthwhile
to the world, something in which all can rejoice - even if for only
a moment."

- Author Unknown

[cwohio]

The Burden-Bearer

A long-ago legend has it that, there once lived a man of towering strength, a giant of a man. He was a pagan whose strength perhaps led him to believe that he needed no higher power.

He made his living by carrying travelers across a broad river. One day a beautiful child came to the bank of the river. As the man bent down to allow the child to climb upon his back, the young lad said, "Are you sure you can bear my weight?"

The man laughed. "Why, I've carried full-grown men across the river. You, my little one, will be lighter than a pebble."

"Very well," said the boy. "But I must warn you. I am heavier than I look."

With a grin, the man raised the child upon his massive shoulders and stepped out into the swirling water. But the weight on his back grew strangely heavy. Soon the brawny giant was struggling not to sink.With superhuman effort he crawled up onto the opposite bank of the river and let the child down.

"How can you be so heavy?" the perplexed man asked. "Who are you?"

"I am Jesus of Nazareth," replied the boy. "And I carry the burdens of the world on my shoulders. Let me carry yours too."

And so it was that Christopher, today known as St. Christopher, was converted to Christianity. The story reminds me -- I don't need to struggle across each day on my own. There is One stronger than I. He is the Great Burden-bearer. He even carries St. Christopher, yet on His shoulders there is always room for one more.




Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28 NLT)


"Lord, thank you for inviting me to come to you, especially when life is getting too difficult for me. I find comfort and peace in knowing that you are going to help me get across my river of difficulties if I just rest on Your shoulders. Remind me always of my limitations so that day by day I will remember that without you I can do nothing. Lord Jesus, please lift me up and carry me through this day."


~Author Unknown~

[best]

A Late Bloomer

I guess that would be me. 43 years old before I ever opened a bible.
I can only hope that some day I could be as the cactus and bloom one of the most beautiful flowers ever known.

God's purpose for me will be revealed one day.

[cwohio]

I can only hope that some day I could be as the cactus and bloom one of the most beautiful flowers ever known.

you already are in God's eyes and lots of others here buddy!

God's purpose for me will be revealed one day.

i believe in your being here that God has revealed some of His purpose already!

[cmc]

Amen to that, cw!
The bloom is here now.

the Lord said. "The heart that seeks to do
good reflects My glory, and will always bring something worthwhile
to the world, something in which all can rejoice -