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... hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most likely find Him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other. This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving ... As I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this giving me a gift. But as the paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was the Baby Jesus! He ... have much for Christmas, so that their focus was on the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open, so I had always given her a small package-new dish towels, the next year's Relief Society lesson manual-not much, but something for her to open. I was touched ...
... that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20: 35" But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing ... so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" Matthew 6: 3-4 (NIV) [by: Sam Bogan-from Ron (jesus_is_lord777 ), via Charlotte] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... flicker of joy in his heart. He understood that his sorrow was not the only sorrow in the world. Before he left the Flats, he had given away the remainder of his gifts. The plaid jacket had gone to a shivering boy. Now Frank trudged homeward, cold and uneasy. How could he explain ...
... one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he ... cried out. Lulia didn't seem to hear him. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots." It's not right ," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli. He walked up the narrow path ... picked him up and set him on the bench." Hmmm ," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles." Looks like you've been given some bad marks"" I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard"" Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child ...
4. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- LUCY. [Stories]
... her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys." Oh, Honey ," I said." You don't have to give Lucy. You love her so much" Meghan nodded solemnly, eyes glistening with held-back tears." Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she'll make that ... how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me. For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you cherish most. Honest benevolence is a three-year-old offering a treasured, albeit shabby doll to a little girl she doesn't know with the hope that it ... to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving-large or small-it will be used to measure what is given back to you" Luke 6: 38 NLT [Author Unknown-From Ruthie, via 'Inspired Buffalo ' (InspiredBuffalo @lighthouse.net)-Ed: Anon. ...
... smoking as a gift to the baby Jesus. Was I nuts ?? Could I do it ?? No, I knew in my heart that I could not give up smoking and I also knew that this broken promise to my son, would stay with both of us for years to come. So. I prayed and ... we didn't take part in the usual Advent preparations that my children were used to that year. On Christmas morning my little boy asked me what I was giving the Baby Jesus for His birthday and I was crushed because I had nothing. I hadn't even baked the birthday cake for baby Jesus and we hadn't saved any ... The Year of My Christmas Miracle I had smoked ever since I was twelve and by the time I was sixteen, I was given permission to smoke in the house. In those days we had no idea of the dangers of smoking. I am one of those people who does things all the way and so ...
... . The ball fell my direction and for the first time in my school career, I was going to shoot a basketball-or was I." Give me the ball ," a deep husky voice said as a shadow fell across my face." Uh, I just wanted to throw the ball" My reply ... be sent to that" funny video" show. God gives us gifts to use for His honor and glory. I'm trying to use the gifts He's given me to do just that. However, there are many times when we don't think the gifts He has given us are as special as someone else's. Because ... prepared to get the ball back across the net. Some even mentioned incriminating film that could easily be sent to that" funny video" show. God gives us gifts to use for His honor and glory. I'm trying to use the gifts He's given me to do just that. However, there are many times ...
... I was in shock. I then contacted my church and one of the pastors had a meeting with my daughter and I. He suggested strongly that we give the baby up for adoption. Again my daughter cried and cried. She said," I can't give my baby up, I can feel it moving inside ... before she was born. I have to believe with all my heart that it was for this very purpose that we were suppose to keep her instead of giving her up. Through this child, God has restored my own child to me and He has restored our family. I thank God everyday for the wonderful gift ... has given us and I pray He continues to use Destini Gabrielle to complete His purpose for the rest of her life for she is His little messenger. [Maria Urso, copyright 2002 (mpu1 @att.net)-from '2THEHEART '] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away." You're not taking that old thing, are you ?" Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt." I wore that when I ... I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 15 years earlier. That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her" real" gifts ... verses:" I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you ...
... times I said or did nothing. The words hung in mid air. Last night I sighed. That got me into trouble. The sigh seemed to give a different signal. For me, hearing the words echo back doesn't mean that much. It seems too mechanical. Like" Thank you" and" You're ... them last year. Remember we decided to send cards only to those who send us one ?" How many things do you do that you label as" giving" when in reality you are expecting a return for your gesture? Have you ever given something anonymously? I'm not suggesting that it's wrong to say" I ... know you care about them. But do we say it so that we can hear it back? If we say those words they certainly aren't taken or given lightly. There is power behind them, woven in between them and laced with tone's of commitment. But do we also say them because we, too need ...
... trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love-I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact ... I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges-giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I ... the old man," Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love-I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into ...
... Great and stunning truths began to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But, despite this,-or because of it,-God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of ... this on faith, But that faith is nourished by a conviction That stirs even within many non-believing hearts-an institution that the gift of life, once given, Cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken Enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight With their might, main, and faith To live ... and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones ...
12. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Living Tree. [Stories]
... and I could not visit her often. Each day, with more and more branches devoid of needles, our hopes flagged. We agreed that we would give her until fall. If no new growth appeared, our little tree would be pulled from the ground. My heart was heavy, as I approached my own ... now darkened except for the lights of the tree, was a breathless, magical moment. Tears rolled down my cheeks, as I thanked God, for giving me back my Christmas. We went a little wild, carefully placing every childhood token, every home-made gift, and every bauble and bead, that we had ... tree (which now is thick with healthy needles) I too have experienced a rebirth. Just as she was dormant, so was I. I had given up. I, too, thought that my growing days were gone. Well, a new day has dawned, and my little tree and I are spreading ...
... 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 ... 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.] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... Three Kernels of Corn Parable 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 ...
... Mom was still not saying a word. She just nodded her head," yes". My brother worked to prop the tree with some lumber to give it support, but to no avail. Each time he would get her up and supported she would fall again to her side. Finally after several attempts, ... , insects, and tree diseases have ravaged Mom's orchard. Mom has tended to her damaged fruit trees as if they were loving members of the family. Giving them the best care possible. Even with her constant loving effort, she still has lost most of her trees. She now has only two trees remaining in ... hundreds and hundreds of apples for Mom to use for baking to spoil her family. My mom's apple pie and applesauce are undeniably the best. And Mom gives all the credit to her 'Early June ' apple tree. My mother modestly says," The reason my pies are so good is because of 'Early Junes ' ...
... to be left with the creche workers. Initially the staff has to sometimes round up the children. Today, builders are more aware and willing to give about 40 %of the money spent on each child in the creche on their site Eventually they love to come here. The older ones are not ... . All they need is a little boost from the adults and they will carve their own space. That is what Tara Mobile Creches is all about giving a fighting chance to the child who otherwise may have none [Author Unknown-from Malladi, via 'The Inspired Buffalo ' (the-inspired-buffalo @yahoogroups.com)] ... they are encouraged to go to formal schools even as they continue getting the support they need at the creche. Formal schooling is one of the biggest issues given the transient and nomadic nature of these families. Teaching the child often involves teaching the parents first , Hiremath affirms. We have to begin with the ...
... grab him, rip him through the branches and tear him Apart. Despite the warnings given to him by his neighbors, the young Tree Dweller refused to give up his dream. He believed there was a whole world to know and a greater life available to those who would trust the Wind to show it to Them ... letting go. They exclaimed to the Tree Dweller that the Wind would grab him, rip him through the branches and tear him Apart. Despite the warnings given to him by his neighbors, the young Tree Dweller refused to give up his dream. He believed there was a whole world to know and a greater life ... a tree and make it their home. From the time of birth, the Tree Dwellers enjoy the benefits of food, Safety and protection that the tree gives to them. Occasionally, an age-old story is told of some who have let go of their spot on the tree and allowed the Wind to carry them away ...
... closed his ledger, he smiled at Julie." We are now knee deep in black ink, Julie. Our hard work has paid off. Please give me a dollar bill" Julie had no idea why he wanted a dollar, but pulled one from her purse and gave it to him. Bernie smiled. ... . It would help the neighbors and also Bernie to have money for new merchandise. They would plant half the garden space now and half in three weeks giving them fresh produce for a long time. Julie prayed hard as they placed the seeds in the ground. When the seeds sprouted, Julie looked anxiously at the ... a dollar, but pulled one from her purse and gave it to him. Bernie smiled." Julie, you now own this store. I have given it much thought, and since my parents have passed and my sister married well, there is no one I want to leave it to, or who deserves ...
18. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Freedom's Price. [Stories]
... echoed in the distance by another bugler. Daddy never missed a Memorial Day service because he was a veteran of WWII and it was important to him to give honor to those who had given their lives for our country. He was a member of the American Legion and the VFW and, later in life, he ... cemetery. Daddy and Mama talked about how those flags were placed there by veteran organizations to honor the soldiers who had served our country, many of them giving their lives to keep our country free. Next, we drove what seemed to me to be a very long way. It was where Daddy's relatives, including ... bugler. Daddy never missed a Memorial Day service because he was a veteran of WWII and it was important to him to give honor to those who had given their lives for our country. He was a member of the American Legion and the VFW and, later in life, he became a veterans service officer, ...
19. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Leo's World. [Stories]
... sheriff of Nottingham ?" McComb's bloated face reddened." These roses are city property-part of our departmental budget. You can't steal them. We can't give a rose to every family who loses a son or a husband in this war ," McComb said. Leo responded," We're civil servants, aren't we ?" ... nodded yes." Well, what's more civil than giving one white rose to someone who's given a son to protect us? If you and the mayor would visit these homes with me, you might change your minds. After all, I present the rose from 'Your Parks Department, ' not from Leo Small" ... Leo responded," We're civil servants, aren't we ?" McComb nodded yes." Well, what's more civil than giving one white rose to someone who's given a son to protect us? If you and the mayor would visit these homes with me, you might change your minds. After all, I present the ...
20. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Gifts From God. [Stories]
... We can feel these gifts in the hugs of our loved ones and in the smiles of strangers. We can even share these gifts ourselves by choosing to give our own soul's love, joy, laughter, delight, peace, goodness, kindness, and happiness to everyone we meet. God's glorious love for us makes ... holy. God's endless love for us makes everyday a gift. Let's all join God then in giving the gifts of love and joy to the world. [By: Joseph J. Mazzella-from 'Inspired Buffalo ' (InspiredBuffalo @lighthouse.net)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... was feeling warm, content, and very thankful to God for my loving family and for my wife's delicious cooking. I was feeling blessed to have been given so much to enjoy, rejoice in, and share in my life. I doubted that there was anything that could make me feel better than I did at ...
... ). I am setting aside a place on the battlefield that is insulated and fully protected from the enemy. I will meet you there and I will give you rest. I will remove your old equipment and" make all things new" You have been wounded in the battle, My soldier. Your wounds are ... be strengthened. I will strengthen you and be your strength. I will instill in you confidence and ability. My Words will be rekindled within you, giving you renewed love, zeal and enthusiasm. Report to Me tattered and empty. I will replenish you. Compassionately, Your Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ [Author Unknown ... as a private, but because of the intensity of the battle You have quickly moved me up in the ranks. You have made me an officer and given me a tremendous amount of responsibility. There are many soldiers and recruits under my charge. I am constantly being called upon to dispense wisdom, make judgments, ...
22. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Pearls. [Stories]
... I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay ?" Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand new dollar ... which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes, it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing. The Lord will never take away something without giving you something better in its place. [Author unknown-from Irene A. Mystery] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
23. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Dearest Dad. [Stories]
... family is not an easy task. You worked very hard to provide for our needs, to put food on the table and to send us to school. You always reminded us that though you and Mom may not be able to give us material wealth as inheritance, you would give us something better-an education. And you did. You would always give us what we needed, even if it meant having to do without yourself. In my early years as a ... money instead. My heart was torn between accepting the love gift you offered and insisting you needed it yourself. God will provide for my needs , you assured me. So, I accepted your gift, for I realized that giving brought you much joy, and I didn t have the heart to take that joy away from you. Other memories that left an indelible mark on me are those times you neither accepted bribes nor yielded to pressure. I can still ...
24. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Christmas Story [Stories]
... squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year ... the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks and so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy filled my soul that I'd never known before. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people. I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when ...
25. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Faith and Deeds [Stories]
... almost reached out and embraced the little man with his blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me. judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's ... at me and said," That is why God gave you to me honey. to give me hope" We held hands for moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace of God that we had been given, that we were able to give. We are not church goers but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story ...
26. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Burdens [Stories]
... , I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home." They're all too heavy, Lord" I said." Give back my own" As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the others." Lets look inside" He said. I turned away, holding it close." That's not a good idea ," I ... sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never been to see a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs"" My child, I'll supply all of your needs. and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight" Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy." And this ?" He asked." Andrew" I hung my head ...
... By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially. When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the ... a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said," You must have some rich people in this church" Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that" little over $100" We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have ...
... taxes to the government and write on the envelope, 'NOW YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!" Paying taxes is not usually a joy. But GIVING can be joyful. We pay the taxes because we have to. But when we choose to give time or money, then giving can add to our overall happiness. Mother Teresa teaches us an important lesson about happiness. She was one of those people who emanated joy. Born in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, she felt called as ... with your ashes ?" The businessman said," Just put them in an envelope and mail them as taxes to the government and write on the envelope, 'NOW YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!" Paying taxes is not usually a joy. But GIVING can be joyful. We pay the taxes because we have to. But when we choose to give time or money, then giving can add to our overall happiness. Mother Teresa teaches us an important lesson about happiness. She was one ...
29. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Cave Babies. [Stories]
... He said she reminded him of a cave man, or perhaps a cave baby in this case, because of the way she was acting. She kept reaching and screaming for the remote. On a whim, my son decided to give it to her and see just what she would do with it. Upon finally receiving the prized remote, she pushed the buttons over and over but nothing happened. She tried screaming at it several times but still nothing happened. Next, ... be. We try different things with it to see if it might give us some kind of satisfaction or pleasure, yet it often falls short. Are we like cave babies, not understanding God s purpose for what He has given us? Sometimes we ask for something, even demand it, from God. Like a loving father, he sometimes allows us to have what we think we want, perhaps to show us that we aren t ready for it or ...
... him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons, and said," We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened" Later that day the junior executive went ... said through his tears," I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to" Addendum-John 13: 34 (NLT)" So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other" [Helice Bridges-Source Unknown.] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... I did, some 14 years now"" Ever think of stopping ?" I asked." Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads" I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived ... to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now"" Ever think of stopping ?" I asked." Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads" I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He ...
... he said, cupping his hands over his mouth like a bull-horn. Slowly I walked over to where the men were standing and I asked if I might get warm by the fire." Get that empty can over there and I'll give you a cup of hot beans ," said one of the men who was sitting on an old stack of tires. They sure were good beans too! I think I ate two whole cans. Sure was nice of them to give me ... sling on his arm. I know my eyes got real big and I got a little scared when he put his good arm around me." It's gonna be ok kid. I'll look after you ," said the man who had given me the beans. I slept pretty good considering how cold it was out there by the tracks. There were a few old army blankets that smelled real bad, but they sure were warm and itchy. The next morning we had beans ...
... at odds with each other She talked to me about everything, and she looked up to me. I went to every soccer game, track meet or special event. She and I teamed up to decorate for family birthdays, give each other pedicures, laugh and cry while watching movies with one another. We baked goodies in the kitchen, as I tried to instill in her how important it was to serve others and extend hospitality. We went shopping for clothes, ... Go It's seems like just yesterday those little notes signed, ( heart ), your only daughter , would pop up around the house for no special reason. I often wondered if she was trying to tell me something. Maybe I was giving more attention to her older brothers than to her, maybe she was feeling insecure about our relationship, or maybe she was just being the loving little girl that blessed my life everyday. Bottom line is this: I took her love for ...
... medicine. Why would you do this for a total stranger ? she asked. I guess because you need it. I don t need it anymore. It would just go bad sitting under the bathroom sink Give me your phone number, young man As we had no telephone, I gave her the phone number of my in-laws, which the taxi driver wrote down for her. As they drove away she waived to me several times out the ... car, wedding rings and money were all confiscated by the county for partial payment of the large bill. As I entered the pharmacy I got in line to wait my turn. In front of me was an elderly woman who was giving the pharmacists a very hard time. Feeling a little sick at my stomach, I turned around and sat down in one of the six hard chairs in the small waiting area. Within a minute the older woman also came over and sat ...
... wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it". I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said," No, Santa can't go where my sister is .I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her". I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said," She has gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mamma is ... Yes, I just know it has to be enough" So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said," Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money" Then the boy said," I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mamma can take it with her to give to my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted to ...
36. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Becoming "Dad". [Stories]
... says as she stops and holds both his hands." What ?" replies Dad." Daddy, that's why I wanted to be here this year for this vacation. You have given me so many wonderful memories. I wanted to give you one ," she says. Then bowing her head for a moment and then glancing up to look him directly in his eyes she says," Daddy, John has asked me to marry him. I said yes" He pauses for ... shore line. He turned to look at them several times. He stood there now a father, in earlier times perhaps they walked this beach hand in hand as lovers. Now, as a new family, those precious moments have given way to reality. They have responsibilities for each other and for their child. He walks along looking lonely and lost. She lays nearby the baby torn between what once was and what is now. They take turns as she now heads ...
... next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered. In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed," I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article" I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. ... of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog. I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs-all jumped up, trying ...
38. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The PEARL [Stories]
... using our time now to conform us into a beautiful image of His dear Son. The pearl is formed in a Living Object! No dead rock is the pearl, it comes from life. The very life of the oyster is given to the pearl. What a blessed God that He gives us this chance. In Him we enjoy eternal life, and much more! Our God has communicated with us in pictures so we comprehend the richness of His Love. The Pearl ... me is just one more analogy of how God can take an irritant (sin) and turn it into something beautiful-if we let Him. The true value of the pearl is not seen from the outside. To the world around it the pearl is just another barnacle covered nasty looking shell. Oh, friends the Lord looks upon the heart. Are you doing the same, to others? Only the Lord sees us as complete in Him. If the world knew ...
... door." Lord, I don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping. Don't you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in the house ?" He could see the tears building in Jesus ' eyes but continued on," I just don't understand, I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me that you would ... demons all ran away. There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He will take all that you give Him, but nothing more. How much of your heart have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him? Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found ...
... , kneeling with me and praying, until I had the assurance that Jesus had truly saved me, as I had asked Him to do, at the age of 8. My father had a great big heart! He would literally give the shirt off his back to help out his fellow man. He would pick up hitchhikers and bring them home, feed them, sometimes sober them up, preach to them, give them a bed for the night and send them on ... alive when I was working on the manuscript, and in his senility, when I read him parts of it, he said, That is exactly like it happened. How did you know ? He had forgotten that he had given me the information on his and mom s early married life. Dad was proud of me. He also raised a son that went into mission work in this country. His second youngest daughter was / is an amazing mother, and ...
41. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Dream Catchers. [Stories]
... catchers, because they always remind me of what I want to do in my own life. I want to catch only the good within myself. I want to capture only the highest, wisest, best, most loving, most giving, and most joyous part of myself and let the rest fade away. I want to become the person that God meant for me to be and live the way that God meant for me to live. I want to become a wonderful ... the web of life and share only love and joy with others and the world. The glorious truth is that you, I, and everyone else in this world can do this too. God loves us all so much and God gives us the strength and ability to become our highest selves. We can choose to be the person God meant for us to be. We can fill ourselves with love, joy, and light and then share them with the world. We ...
... My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to" dad" That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood ... rig the race, to make us number one, or to much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through the struggle." I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippines 4: 13 Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else; he prayed that God supply ...
43. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Auction [Stories]
... . To everyone's shock, the auctioneer ripped a hand written will from the back of the picture. This is what it said:" To the person who thinks enough of my son to buy this painting, to this person I give my entire estate" The auction was over. The greedy crowd walked away in shock and dismay. How many of us have sought after what we thought were true riches only to find out later that our Father was prepared to give us ... entire estate if we had only sought after His Son alone? Matthew 6: 33" But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6: 21" For where your treasure is there your heart will be also" [Unknown source-from KJ] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... I could, sometimes I inwardly wished they would just go away. But on this day, a young man with a week-old beard climbed from the broken-down automobile. He had no money and no food. He asked if I could give him some work and I offered him gasoline and a meal. I told him that if he wanted to work, we'd be pleased if he'd cut the grass, but work wasn't necessary. Though sweaty and hungry, he worked hard. ... me to believe in people again. He helped me to once again WANT to do something for those who are in need. I wish I could thank him for restoring some of my faith in the basic goodness of others and for giving me back a little of the optimism I had lost somewhere along the way. Because of him I once again felt part of a golden chain of kindness that binds us to one another. I may have fed his body that day. ...
45. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Letter To God. [Stories]
... helps me to grow, so I don't take them so personally now. But just so you'll realize that I'm still me and that I'm still going to need a little help, (and since I've apologized so nicely) could you give me a small miracle and make my little girl see? Well, if you can't, I guess I understand. Miracles might be in short supply today, but just for the record thanks again for letting me see. Amen. Pat ... And I have been wrong about you. I thought you'd made a terrible mistake when my child was born and I said some pretty rotten things to you and about you. It seemed so unfair though. I couldn't believe that you'd given me this child as part of" the plan" I was sure you'd made a horrendous mistake and I'm sure you got pretty tired of me begging for a miracle in one breath and then turning around and saying all those mean things about ...
... Making Good, Honest Labor Better It wasn't that Kurt and I didn't have anything in common. We were the same age, approximately. The same height, give or take a few strands of hair (I still had hair, Kurt didn't-and my hair made me taller). We both cheered passionately for the same college football and professional basketball teams. We were even the same weight. But even though we both tipped the scales at about 240 pounds, ... My Dad worked here ," he said, simply." My older brother still works here. I never really thought of working anywhere else"" Do you like it here ?" I didn't intend it as a leading question, but given the circumstances, it sort of came out that way. He looked at me, as if he was trying to decide if I was trying to trap him. I guess he figured I wasn't smart enough to do that." Yeah ...
... My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to" dad". That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine ... rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through the struggle." I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4: 13 Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply ...
48. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Sacrifice Play [Stories]
... think they will let me play ?" Jerry's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Jerry's father understood that if his son were chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging. Jerry's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Jerry could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and ... outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Jerry was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Jerry bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Jerry was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Jerry didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However, as Jerry stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps ...
49. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Saved At Sea. [Stories]
... . Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side." That was an awesome story ," said one of the boys," but I don't think it was very logical for a father to give up his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian"" Well, you've got a point there ," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and ... once again looked up at the boys and said," It sure isn't very logical, is it? But I'm here today to tell you the fact THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me"" You see, boys. I was the son's friend" [Author Unknown-from Randy Walker-Ed: Anon.] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... and I couldn't shake the grime that clung to my body. As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me." Come as you are. No jacket required" I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium." Your name, sir ?" he asked me with a smile. ... No Jacket Required I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn't be the right place. After all, I couldn't possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn't be the right place. Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that I clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words," Come as you ...
51. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Number 111. [Stories]
... old burgundy colored hymnbook from the shelf. I m not in the habit of talking to books but it might be interesting if this particular hymnbook could talk back to me. I have a collection of old hymnbooks that friends have given me or I have gathered from various places over the years but this hymnbook was special. The old hymnbook with an arched church window etched on the front and the words Tabernacle Hymns looked quite the same as it did the first ... my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary. By God s Word at last my sin I learned; Then I trembled at the law I d spurned, Till my guilty soul imploring turned To Calvary. Now I ve giv n to Jesus everything, Now I gladly own Him as my King, Now my raptured soul can only sing Of Calvary! Oh, the love that drew salvation s plan! Oh, the grace that bro t it ...
... to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word? I: me, an individual, a committee of one. PLEDGE: dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity. ALLEGIANCE: my love and my devotion. TO THE FLAG: our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's ... including countries and flags. The flag is not an idol to me but a symbol of good and not evil. Our flag stands for our country and for freedom and that freedom has often been costly. Many have served and some given even their lives. My father and my brother served during two different wars and now I have a son in the military. I do not put my trust in flags, constitutions, or governments. You are right about that, Tim ...
... Geraniums Geraniums and marigolds were two flowers my mother couldn't tolerate. As a kid, I tended to agree with her. They were a far cry from roses. As the years past like sand through the hour glass, I didn't give geraniums more than a passing thought. While I was in France with my Army husband, I planted flowers by our front door step. No geraniums or marigolds-only sweet scented flowers. While pulling weeds from my small garden one day ... Paris cologne in deep blue bottles, Spic and Span, and her ever present house plants. I coveted the Easter lilies, geraniums, and a huge, gorgeous Christmas cactus. Grammie had had the cactus for eons, and she'd given me many slips from it to start. Every time one succumbed, she'd give me another and warn me again not to over water it. When, at last, the door to Grammie's house was swung opened, though my mind knew ...
54. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Apple Basket. [Stories]
... got this basket, and each time I had a problem or concern that I could not handle, I put an apple in the basket un-shined"" Why ?" the nurse said shaking her head." Because it reminded me to give those problems to the Lord for him to shine. See my basket now, he stated. As my problems disappear so do the apples. As I get new problems, ones I cannot handle alone, I put an apple in" ... and deliver his basket. Sure, they agreed as they watched her slip past into his room. Curiosity consumed them over the next few weeks as they tended to the elderly man. He was eaten with cancer and the doctors had given him no hope of survival. He turned out to be a very calm, happy man once he had his basket. His wife, they noticed, would come in with apples and go out with apples and the curiosity grew even more ...
55. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Fly. [Stories]
... ." I see you and want to be that brave ," I said. The thought then came to me that perhaps he looks at me and sees me limited because I cannot fly." Oh, my friend. I would give anything to fly !" I said, and walked back into the house. Later in the early evening, as a part of my regular routine, I went back to the feeders, filled them, added water to the bird bath and ... feather so I could fly." It won't get me off the ground !" I said laughing." But it is a beginning. A little piece of a dream to prove there are no limits to the abilities you have been given ," the Voice said to me. I, a part of him in flight and he a part of me grounded in my reality. The only limits that exist are the ones you choose to accept. So, Fly!~Bob ...
... greatly outnumbered) were fighting a against the British (the most powerful nation in the world). Some believe that only 3 %of the American people took part in the struggle for independence, and many aided the British cause by giving them housing etc. Prevalent in the hearts and minds of the American people, was apathy, self-interests, uncertainty, and fear. It is well known that George Washington was a man of prayer and great courage as he would ride and ... " This afternoon, as I was sitting at this table engaged in preparing a dispatch, something seemed to disturb me. Looking up, I beheld standing opposite me a singularly beautiful female. So astonished was I, for I had given strict orders not to be disturbed, that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of her presence. A second, a third and even a fourth time did I repeat my question, but received no answer from ...
57. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Red Geranium. [Stories]
... The Red Geranium It was the day before my mother's seventy sixth birthday and I still hadn't made up my mind what to give her .She was living in a nursing home and couldn't have a lot of personal things with her. I finally called my sister to see what she thought .She told me that she'd heard our mother say she would love a red geranium but she hadn't seen any that were big enough for a lovely gift. As I drove home from work that ... I signed the card she tucked a red ribbon bow at the base of the plant. I could hardly wait to deliver it and when I walked into her room her smile said it all! She was as excited as if I'd given her an expensive treasure" I've wanted one for so long .Oh, honey, it's so beautiful! Did you see the buds ?" I told her it was an answer to a prayer .and she raised her eyes toward heaven and breathed a ...
58. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Flat Tire. [Stories]
... . I literally was frightened. This young guy was dressed in black. Nearly everything imaginable was pierced and tattooed. His hair was cropped and poorly cut. He had leather bracelets with spikes on each wrist." How about I give you a hand ?" he said." Well, I don't know... I think I can..."" Come on, it will only take me a few minutes" He took right over. While watching him ... of reflection rather than the uncomfortable feeling that I had insulted someone. He was right. What he wore on the outside was a reflection of the world as he saw it. What he wore on the inside was the spirit of giving, caring and loving the world he wanted to see. The rain stopped and Jeff and I changed the tire. I tried to offer him money and of course he refused it. As we shook hands I began to apologize for my ...
59. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Seed. [Stories]
... " It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO ," he said." I have decided to choose one of you" The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued." I am going to give each one of you a seed today-a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. ... will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO" One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, ...
... . I don t think so Don t you have to use the bathroom ? I asked the old man. He stood up and walked toward the back of the store. The clerk motioned his head, giving him the okay. I see buying a new pair of shoes still gives you that good feeling you talked about , I told the young man, as I smiled. Yes it does he said And now I have ... , and feet to share it with ~Roger Dean Kiser~The books, stories and CDs of Roger Dean Kiser, author, child advocate. http :// www.geocities.com / trampolineone / survive / srv080.htm [by: Roger Dean Kiser Copyright 2007 (trampolineone @earthlink.net)-submitted by: Roger Dean Kiser] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
61. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Box Of Kisses [Stories]
... and said," This is for you, Daddy" He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her," Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it ?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said ," Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for ... by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, family and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. [Author Unknown-from Denial Bahney] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... and said to the elephant's owner," Sir, this is not necessary. Bozo is not a bad elephant"" But he is ," the man argued." We must kill him before he kills someone"" Sir, give me two minutes alone in his cage ," the visitor pleaded," and I'll prove to you that you are wrong. He is not a bad elephant" After a few more moments of discussion (and a written statement absolving the circus ... held a cruel exhibition. He sold tickets to witness Bozo's execution and, on the appointed day, his arena was packed. Three men with high-powered rifles rose to take aim at the great beast's head. Just before the signal was given to shoot, a little, stubby man in a brown hat stepped out of the crowd and said to the elephant's owner," Sir, this is not necessary. Bozo is not a bad elephant"" But he is ," the ...
... , for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15: 13-17) [Brent High (Youth Minister)-from Brent High (White House Church of Christ, TN)] Inspirational ... the young people who had never committed their lives to Jesus to do so. I told them they didn't have to know everything at first. That's what being born again is all about. Starting new. I encouraged those who had given their lives to Jesus before and didn't have him at the center of their lives to make it right. As I stepped down from the pulpit with the words of" Just As I Am" resonating from the walls, I knew something ...
... , so I answered it" Knowing this encounter could only have been arranged by God, I began to counsel the woman. As she told me of her despair and frustration, the presence of the Holy Spirit flooded the phone booth giving me words of wisdom beyond my ability. In a matter of moments, she prayed the sinner's prayer and met the One who would lead her out of her situation into a new life. I walked away from that telephone booth with an ... this point she began weeping again, and I prayed silently for wisdom to help her. She continued," I looked at the numbers and thought, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if I had a miracle from God, and He has given me Ken's phone number? ' I decided to try calling it. I can't believe I'm talking to you. Are you in your office in California ?" I replied," Lady, I don't have an office in California. My office ...
... With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said," Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that Jesus Really Does Love You! I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love" With that, he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed," Thank you, ... ready" His Pastor Dad asked," Ready for what ?"" Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out" Dad responds," Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain" The boy gives his Dad a surprised look, asking," But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining ?" Dad answers," Son, I am not going out in this weather" Despondently the boy asks," ...
66. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Road Of Life [Stories]
... people that had gifts that I needed. Gifts of healing, acceptance, love, and joy. So many priceless gifts to take on my journey-my Lord's and mine. Then we were off again. He said," Give the gifts away-they're extra baggage now-there'll be more gifts to come" So I did, I gave them to people we met, and found that in giving I also received, and my burden was lighter. I didn't ... him at first to be in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it-but I discovered he knows how to handle even the roughest roads in my life. Now I'm learning to be quiet and pedal in the strangest places. I'm beginning to enjoy the view, the challenge of the ride, as well as the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion-Jesus Christ. When it seems I just can't take anymore, I keep my eyes ...
67. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Angel Penny. [Stories]
... the ANGEL pennies just in case she didn't have enough of the others. Guess what-lo and behold, she found she still had her 3 ANGEL coins. She had searched through each coin one by one so as not to give an ANGEL in error. This was my affirmation that indeed Patti and I had held hands directly with our Heavenly Father and it was incredible! I'll cherish this special moment with Christ forever. My ANGEL penny is now mounted in a coin ... . This begins on a Friday evening around 7 and closes late Sunday afternoon. We stayed in a former catholic church convent. The setting is perfect, and you can feel God's love all about. On Saturday morning, Patti was giving a talk on Ideals. She correlated Ideals with reaching for goals. And with this she associated reaching for goals like being able to reach toward the stars in heaven. As she closed her speech she asked that someone from each group of ...
68. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Kindness. [Stories]
... . Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office" She smiled." I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet And if you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you" There were tears in the old man's ... Kindness One day a woman was walking down the street when she spied a beggar sitting on the corner. The man was elderly, unshaven, and ragged. As he sat there, pedestrians walked by him giving him dirty looks They clearly wanted nothing to do with him because of who he was-a dirty, homeless man. But when she saw him, the woman was moved to compassion. It was very cold that day and the man had his tattered coat ...
... . She's divorced, with three small children to support. Mary is just one more responsibility"" But what can I do ?" I stammered." I've never known a child like this before" I felt so inadequate." Give her love ," she suggested," lots and lots of love. She's lost so much. There's prayer, too-and faith, faith that will make her a normal little girl again if you just don't lose hope" I returned ... looked at me with the shining eyes of any normal little girl." My mother loved flowers ," she said simply." She had all of these growing in our garden" Thank you, God, I said silently. You've given us the miracle. I knelt and put my arms around the child. Then the tears came, slowly at first, but soon she was sobbing her heart out against my shoulder. The other children had tears in their eyes, too ...
70. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- I'm proud of you! [Stories]
... you're there. They smile, laugh often and feel better for having had you in their day, even if ever so briefly. I'm proud of you !" To a Friend." You take on the challenges of life and never give in. You might not always win, but you don't lose for lack of trying. I'm proud of you !" To a co-worker." You care. It shows in the way you do your work. You not only do your ... special messages for your friends facing challenges. Your faith is strong and evident when you lift up others, offer spiritual support and encouragement and pray for people you don't even know. You are a part of the world's largest support group giving hope to those whose only connection to others may be the internet." I'm proud of you !" J~Bob Perks~[ by: Bob Perks Copyright 2009 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories ...
... tell ?" I asked." Dogs can't go into school But that is exactly what happened, David and I took Scruffy to school. David was in a" special" class, and the teacher thought that a dog might give some stimulation to some of the problem children in the class. (David was not one of them) The teacher was right about giving stimulation. David proudly introduced his dog, and then sat down on the floor with the twenty other ... . I put Scruffy through his paces. First, I told him to find David. David made no gestures. He sat with quiet expectation, knowing that his dog would not disappoint him. He didn't. Scruffy, as if pretending he was searching for the right little boy went around sniffing all the children, much to the delight of the class. When he came to David, he skipped over him, making sure that he sniffed all the other children first. ...
72. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Making A Life. [Stories]
... another not just a select few. Not just those who are like us. All people. Making a life means loving the life in others. Finally, sacrifice. Stop asking for what you can get, ask what you can give, what you can do. Making a life means giving life to others." You are not making a life for a day, you are making a lifetime from it"" I believe in You !" J~Bob Perks~ ... by: Bob Perks Copyright 2009 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... asked of her. The" rules" were few and simple. Stay sober, go to meetings and work on building a foundation for the rest of your life. What everyone else looked at was what a generous gift we were giving to her. What I found out was what a wonderful gift I was given! Amber and I developed a friendship that is priceless to me. She is the same age as my oldest daughter, and I look at her daughter as ... granddaughter that I haven't had yet. Amber lived with us for about a year and a half and during that time she worked and went to school to start a new career. Amber lost her mother, Carol, unexpectedly one morning and she walked through that with grace and dignity. She has regained her self respect, her dignity, her family, and her life is rich and full today. She may not have everything she thinks she wants just yet, but she's ...
... the focus to say," Father, what I want doesn't matter. Not my will, but Yours be done" Would Jesus ' teaching have really had any eternal benefit for us today if He didn't take that last step of giving Himself completely to God by going to the cross? NO. Would it matter that he healed a few thousand people during His ministry? NO. Would it matter that He even raised a handful of people from the dead? NO. ... perfect human being. And without those words, we would be still be in our sins, without life, without hope, without forgiveness. Jesus ' life wasn't fully mature until everything He had, including His very life was willingly given to God. Only then was God ultimately and fully glorified. Only then was the will, the work, the plan of God made a reality. Well, let me leave you with a question. Have you stopped growing? Have ...
75. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- One Day To Live. [Stories]
... greet the next person. I look away and past the person speaking with me a few times. I make eye contact with the people still patiently waiting and if necessary, I will hand signal an individual I see edging away, giving up the wait." Don't go !" I tell them." I do want to speak with you !" is my last effort to politely end a conversation. Keeping a promise I made to myself, I did speak with about a ... accomplished the feat. But who sees the miracle in the creation of both you and the mountain? Yes, you are a total summation of all you believe, all you choose to see and all you don't. Maybe God really gives us just one day to live, but many chances to see it differently. What have you been missing?~Bob Perks~2believe @comcast.net [by: Bob Perks Copyright 2007 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission ...
... and said to the elephant's owner," Sir, this is not necessary. Bozo is not a bad elephant"" But he is ," the man argued." We must kill him before he kills someone"" Sir, give me two minutes alone in his cage ," the visitor pleaded," and I'll prove to you that you are wrong. He is not a bad elephant" After a few more moments of discussion (and a written statement absolving the circus ... held a cruel exhibition. He sold tickets to witness Bozo's execution and, on the appointed day, his arena was packed. Three men with high-powered rifles rose to take aim at the great beast's head. Just before the signal was given to shoot, a little, stubby man in a brown hat stepped out of the crowd and said to the elephant's owner," Sir, this is not necessary. Bozo is not a bad elephant"" But he is ," the ...
77. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- No Regrets. [Stories]
... favorite team in the four-man canoe race was the United States team. One member of that team was a young man by the name of Bill Havens. As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill's wife would give birth to their first child about the time that the U.S. team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924 there were no jet airliners from Paris to the United States, only slow ocean going ships. And so Bill found ... considered being at her side his highest priority, even higher than going to Paris to fulfill his dream. As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill's wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late, in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said," What a shame" But Bill ...
... . It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need" Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply." I'm most grateful for what you have said ," he told the old man." May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I ... , and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider's eye and said," Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a passageway by foot" Reining his horse, the rider replied," Sure thing. Hop aboard" Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen ...
79. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Carl. [Stories]
... with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it. But every time we came and did something to you instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate" He stopped for a moment." I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back" He paused for ... finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done. Carl just watched them. Then he turned toward the warm giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering. The summer was quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into ...
... was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties. The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing. One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take ... as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. Of course other children teased them when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright blood red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers, just like we see them today. [Author Unknown-from John Traver] ...
... and that he does not live today? His life was such a shining example of Christ s love for us. So now, in his great spirt and unfailing heart felt love, many of us reach out to others to give gifts that remind all who receive of God s love for them. So does he live? As sure as you and I, he does! When we remember to share God s love with one and all, regardless of ... and all the story of the Christ child s birth. His death and resurrection and all that is worth. All this was done to remind them, and us, of God s gift, His Son. A gift given to all, regardless of what they ve done. So how can I say this man did not live and that he does not live today? His life was such a shining example of Christ s love for us. So ...
... eye. The man smiled broadly and replied," My dear child, you shall indeed have both-Mercy and Grace. For in my mercy I will not exact a punishment that is justly deserved and in my grace I will give to you what can never be earned" Point of Encouragement: This story is a picture of how God deals with us. It is His mercy that embraces us in our sin offering forgiveness and it is in His grace that we find ... we are given the right to be His children. Like Miriam, the only way grace can be ours is to accept the gift of Jesus Christ that is offered to us by God Himself. God did not have to forgive us (show mercy ), nor did he have to allow us to become members of His family (extending grace). But both mercy and grace are necessary to show the depth of His love for us. [by Glenn A. Hascall ( ...
... and walks away. You are one lucky lady" Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For, although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe-the gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness. God watches over us in just the same way. We may not ... a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady" Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For, although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, ...
84. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Promise? [Stories]
... one .this young lady .is hope for the world. I have decided that somehow I need to help her get to somewhere where she can make a recording. Not so much to turn her life into stardom, but so as to give something back to her she lost as a child. I found out just yesterday that she sang for a wedding at a local church. I wish I knew. I would have been there. But I'll go back .I" Promise !" ... and gentle on the eye." Some say love it is a river" I stood across the room mesmerized. When she finished I cheered. I ran over to thank her, praise her and hug her for what she had given us. Later she asked if she could sing again. Without hesitation I said," Absolutely! Pick out another song"" I want to sing one I wrote. There's no music ," she said. My body sank into a ...
85. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Enough For Now. [Stories]
... .~Trisha LaCoste~trishakay79 @yahoo.com All Rights Reserved Trisha LaCoste is a wife, mother, and photographer who lives in Alabama with her husband, Anthony, and their four children. Hunter, Mason, Kyla, and Jayden give her inspiration daily to use her photography and wiriting skills. You can check out her website at www.lacostephotography.com. Please take a minute to let Trisha know what you think of her story: Trisha LaCoste [by: Trisha LaCoste Copyright 2009 ( ... Yes .I still struggle. I still ask why. I still wish I could see the ultimate plan and purpose He has for me in this situation. But I can see the character He's building in me and the spiritual hunger He's giving me. Just as I see the frayed end of my rope starting to unravel, I realize that it's only in my darkest moments that the light in my soul can shine. Besides that, if I never let go of the rope ...
... a twenty dollar bill. He thrust the money into her gnarled hand. Then he reached over and kissed her lightly on the forehead." May God richly bless you, ma'am ," he said softly." And thank you for giving me the honor of sharing my Thanksgiving dinner with you" With that, Jimmy picked up his dishes and returned to the car. She had stayed in the city purposely to see him grow, but remained carefully in the background and out ... wouldn't succumb to temptation and eat more today. For the past two years, Jimmy had established a tradition for himself. He had never suffered a hungry day in his life. The son of an unwed teenaged mother, he was given up for adoption as an infant and was taken in by a Christian family. When he was fifteen, to honor his Lord as well as his parents, he decided to take his second helping of Thanksgiving dinner to the park to share ...
87. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Finding A Voice. [Stories]
... of the balloons and laughed when I finally got the one-cent balloon. It was a long time coming, but well worth the wait. Each spoonful of ice cream reminded me that the first step in making any wish come true is giving it a voice. [Teri Goggin (tgogg @erols.com)-from Heartwarmers, via 'Aiken Drum '] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... What does it say ?" Frankie prompted." Fifty cents ," I whispered, too choked up to speak loudly. Frankie got business-like and asked," Well, do you have fifty cents ?" I handed him the two quarters he'd given me moments earlier." Okay then !" Frankie walked over to the refrigerator, pulled out a homemade banana split on a Tupperware plate and handed it to me. Mounds of vanilla ice cream were covered in chocolate sauce, Cool Whip and ...
... I heard your voice, running and jumping into your arms, and smelling the fresh scent of pine. You always had that big old grin, when I would say," I missed you, Daddy". Then you would give me a big old squeeze and sit down and hold me on your knee. You would bounce me a couple times and ask me, how my day was. Then you would hold me tight against your chest and say," I ... after that. It was a very dark time in my life, saying good-bye to both my towers of strength, my hero and my heroine; my two best friends. I thought my life would surely end! God must have given me the strength of steel, for with out Him I could not have healed and dealt with such great loss. My family foundation had crumbled under my feet. But the Lord sought not to allow defeat! For I went ahead and ...
... The Fern and The Bamboo One day I decided to quit .I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God." God ", I said." Can you give me one good reason not to quit ?" His answer surprised me." Look around ", He said." Do you see the fern and the bamboo ?"" Yes ", I replied." When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo ...
... on the door and say I'm in trouble, would you please lend me a jack? And he'll say, why sure, neighbor, help yourself, but bring it back '" He walked on a little farther and the light went out so he said to himself, 'Now he's gone to bed, and he'll be annoyed because I'm bothering him so he'll probably want some money for his jack. And I'll say, all right, it isn't very neighborly but I'll give you a quarter. And he'll say, do you think you can get me out of bed in the middle of the night and then offer me a quarter? Give me a dollar or get yourself a jack somewhere else '" By the time he got to the farmhouse the fellow had worked himself into a lather. He turned into the gate and muttered. 'A dollar! All right, I'll give you a dollar. But not a cent more! A poor devil ...
... To her horror, huge new cracks began to form and two large sections of the blue released themselves and began to come down to her at a faster rate. Instead of floating, these seemed to form into large wings and they came down in a swift glide. Again, Helena got up and ran as fast as she could. Again the sky caught up with her and this time, it wrapped her like a blanket. Helena had the strangest feeling of being given an enormous blue, shiny, soft hug. She closed her eyes and felt herself being propelled backward. She toppled over and landed on her back in the grass. Helena fought, but the feeling of love and peace that now surrounded her stopped her struggles. It took a few moments before Helena opened her eyes. She was covered from head to foot in a flowing robe of the finest, heavenly blue. Though it was thin and there was now quite a strong ...
92. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Magnolia. [Stories]
... . As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle... so many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old! To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church. After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ...
... monitor ," he said to the wrist-watch. Immediately a 3-dimensional hologram projected in the space between the two men that perfectly displayed his living room. He could even see a half inch of coffee in the bottom of a cup he'd left on the table earlier in the day." Unbelievable !" said the stranger. Then Dave spoke to the device." Leave a voice message for Sharon that the bus is late and send flowers to my sister for her birthday. And give me the 5 O'clock news"" Done, done and done ," the voice confirmed. Suddenly a high-resolution hologram screen appeared in front of Dave. The two men felt as if they were sitting in the television studio watching the newscast. The stranger was struck dumb with admiration. The display was of unbelievably high quality and the voice was simply astounding." Now, look at this-` wedding photos" Dave said the timepiece. Photos of his recent wedding appeared in ...
... our attention, it all begins. Some play beautifully, others still fumble with the notes. There, mixed throughout the orchestra, are those who are still afraid to play. They begin to fake it just pretending to play their part." No one will know" they think." I'll just blend in" Then one day the stage lights go dim. A bright, beautiful spotlight streaks across the stage and centers on you. Without being prepared you are given a solo. You pause, only for a moment, confused and afraid you rise to your feet. The music of life continues as your moment to shine approaches. You are almost blinded by the light, but just beyond the edge of the stage you see familiar faces. Family and friends have gathered front row center. Through the years they have heard the music you have been writing. They, above all others, know you can play your part well. Fear ...
95. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Paid In Full [Stories]
... , his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he shouted at his father and said" with all your money, you give me a Bible ?" and stormed out of the house. Many years passed and the young man had become very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father now was getting old, and thought perhaps he should go see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. ...
96. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Parent Talk. [Stories]
... their language. In these times when it comes to our children, we should never let our guard down. Our eyes connected. I smiled. They went on about their business. I wanted nothing more than to watch them safely from a distance. They were young and fussing over a set of new born. We haven't had babies in our lives for many years so all of this brought back memories. Their kids were hungry and I guess I must have finally given them both a sense that I meant no harm. One parent left for a moment, perhaps to get something for the kids. I looked away periodically so as not to make them feel uncomfortable. Suddenly, dad returned with some special treats and the kids went wild. I can remember spoiling my own children, too. As they settled down, both parents turned to look at me. I felt at that very moment they understood. Maybe, one day in the ...
97. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Puppies for Sale [Stories]
... limping puppy and said," What's wrong with that little dog ?" The store owner explained that the veteriarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited." That is the little puppy that I want to buy" The store owner said," No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you" The little boy got quite upset. He looked into the store owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said," I don't want you to give him to me. That dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for" The store owner countered," You really don't want to buy ...
... or community activities would require my participation in the city, but we always tried to make a trip to be with grandma for the banquet. My great-grandmother lived until I was into my 20 s and she attended as well. It made four generations and something I was proud to be part of. I had the song M O T H E R memorized by the time I was 8, and sung it with pride. Gifts wrapped so pretty were given to the oldest mother in attendance, and often that would be my great-grandmother, or she would get the gift as the oldest of four generations. When I became the mother of a daughter, we often attended the same banquet when time allowed. At that time my great-grandmother was in her heavenly home, and now my grandmother was the oldest of four generations. I ve attended various Mother and Daughter banquets over the years, and I ve chaired many of them ...
99. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Dime [Stories]
... the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box." That will be ten cents young man" the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime! Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added," I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them ?" This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, ...
... will come to curse the wind and the way of things. Wind is old and you are young. Ask Wind sometime" The tree said no more. Leaf tried not to think about what Tree had said. Of course it had heard the stories of how leaves grow old and die, but still it would never be hateful. That very day, Leaf made a decision. It shouted to the world," I will Never hate Wind. I will not give in to fear or unhappiness" Still, the next time Wind came to call, Leaf could not help but ask." When I become old, dry and brittle will you destroy me as Tree says ," Leaf asked. Wind was silent for a long moment." I will not destroy you my dear one ," Wind said." All Earthly things grow old and dry. That is not my doing" Leaf was shaking and Wind could see the fear beginning to ...
101. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Key To Life. [Stories]
... the old man and began dragging him back into the alley. He let out a horrible scream as the two of them began to beat him with their fists. Within seconds the old man was down on the ground and the two boys began kicking him as hard as they could. Rolling up into a ball the old man continued to yell. I was less than twenty yards from the man, yet I could hardly hear him the sound was so muffled. Give us the key, old man , one of the boys kept yelling. It s my key to life. It s the key to life. Leave it alone, Please , the old man kept screaming. The two boys just kept beating him. As I ran out of the alley, I saw a Chinese man running back into the restaurant. I ran inside and began yelling at the man to call the police. He stood there waving his hand ...
... get cold. But we didn't have much money because my dad couldn't find a good job in those days, to feed the family of eleven hungry children. At the start of the school year, we would each get a new pair of shoes, one pair of pants, and one shirt, and the girls would get one dress, and the frilly things to go with it. This would have to last us all through the school year, unless someone would give us clothing, which seldom happened, because most families were as bad off as we were. But we had love and we worked together doing all the chores, raising the garden for food. Sometimes but not very often someone would give us a pig to raise and we would be very grateful for that, because that would mean meat on the table in the fall. When it came to Thanksgiving we would have chicken for dinner, for we raised chickens. Once a ...
103. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- If We Listen. [Stories]
... , he said out loud," Okay, God, I will" He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something," Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street" The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat." God, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid" Again, he felt like he should ...
104. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- God's Love Story [Stories]
... hearts. I answered," It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word" The Lord then asked," If you were mute, would you still praise My Name ?" How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered," Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name" And the Lord asked," Do you really love Me ?" With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly," Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God !" I thought I had answered well, but God asked," THEN WHY DO YOU SIN ?" I answered," Because I ...
105. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Your Turn. [Stories]
... holding a sign that said," Stranded-need money to get back to Michigan" I read her sign and briefly our eyes met. I drove off, but instantly I knew that THIS was the real reason that I was prompted to get off at that exit. I went to the nearest gas station and explained to the attendant that I wanted to help the lady just down the street who was stranded. I would charge the gas to my credit card, give her the receipt, and he was to accept the receipt and give her the gas. He tried to discourage me, saying that somebody had a similar sign on a camper a couple of days before. But that didn't matter to me. I was sure in my heart that I was the person who was supposed to help this woman. I would rather be counted as an angel in the eyes of God than a fool in the eyes of the gas attendant. Besides ...
106. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Mother's Crown. [Stories]
... waited up. For your children to come home. For all the nights by their bedside, You stayed till the fever went down, For nursing every little wound, I add this emerald to your crown"" A ruby, I'll place by the emerald, For leading your child in the right way, For if you hadn't taught them about me, They wouldn't be here with you today. For always being right there, Thru all life's important events, I give you a sapphire stone, For the time and love you spent"" For untying the strings that held them, When they grew up and left home, I give you this one for courage" Then the Lord added an amethyst stone." I'll place a stone of garnet ," He said," For all the times you spent on your knees, When you asked me to take care of your children, And them for having faith in me"" I have ...
107. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Dear Mom [Stories]
... , I had a dream from God. An angel of the Lord came to me. His words pulsated through my mind so intensely I can remember them as if it were yesterday." Joseph, Son of David ," he thundered," do not fear to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" I couldn't believe my ears, Mom. This was the answer! The angel continued," She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" The angel gripped my shoulders with his huge hands. For a long moment his gaze pierced deep within me. Just as he turned to go, I think I saw a smile on his shining face. I sat bolt upright in bed. No sleep after that! I tossed about for a while, going over the words in my mind ...
... think little Harold may have understood the real issue of Christmas better than anyone else there that night. How can you leave Jesus outside? You have to make room for Jesus. And that may be the issue for you this Christmas. What will you do with this Son of God who came to earth to find you? Jesus is the One who trades a throne room for a stable, and the praise of angels for human mockery. This is the Creator who gives Himself on a cross! The Bible gives us the only appropriate response:" The life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2: 20) You look at what Jesus did to pay for your sin on that cross, and you say those life-changing words-" For me" Jesus is at YOUR door this Christmas. Maybe He's been knocking for a long time. Maybe He ...
109. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Night Before Christmas (An African Christimas Story). [Stories]
... wish that those memories were real tonight in order to bring us Christmas. However, this Christmas Eve things were different and I knew Christmas would never come. Every one was sad and desperate because of what happened last April when the so-called Army of Liberation attacked our village and took all the young boys and girls away. Families were separated and some were murdered. We were forced to march and work for many miles without food. We were often hungry and we were given very little food. There was very little food. The soldiers burned everything in our village and during our forced march we lost all sense of time and place. Miraculously we were able to get away from the soldiers during one rainy night. After several weeks in the tropical forest we made our way back to our burned out village. Most of us were sick, exhausted, and depressed. Most of the members of our families were no where to be found. We ...
... when Santa has come Nearly all of the Christmas carols were sung by the time each class had performed. Each class in our school drew names for a gift exchange so there were lots of gifts beneath the tree the night of the program. At the end of the program suddenly a Ho! Ho! Ho ! resounded from the door and everyone s attention was drawn to where Santa entered with his pack full of small brown bags. Every child was given one of the bags that contained hard Christmas candy ribbon and various other hard candies. The bag was topped off with a big round orange. The gifts under the tree were given to their recipients and at the end there was one little girl who had not received a gift. My mother, who was a high school teacher, saw the little girl who had tears in her eyes. She looked at the little girl and said, You know, I think somebody ...
... Someone To Watch Over Me Gracie, my beautiful 13 year old shepherd-collie mix, has found her purpose. Six years ago this January, I came home from a Boston hospital after being diagnosed with a spinal cord disorder. I was wearing a huge rock-solid brace that went from my chin to the middle of my chest. When my husband, Bob, helped me to our couch, Gracie hopped up to give me her usual 3 million" Yippee you're home !" kisses. But before she landed her sloppy tongue on my face, she abruptly stopped herself upon seeing my brace and, I believe, sensing my pain. And in that instant, I was no longer her caregiver. I was in her care. Ever since then, Gracie's reason-to-be has been to watch over me. When morning comes, Gracie won't leave the bedroom until I'm up. Even while the other pets are noisily having their breakfasts. I am her charge. Her ...
112. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Message In A Bottle. [Stories]
... the glint of something shining in the waters below .he dove into the ocean and swam towards the shining object below .he could see that there was something that looked like a treasure chest, but he couldn't quite reach it and the deeper he went, the greater the cold and pressure on his body and his mind ," I am about to lose my breath, and the longer i take, my raft might be swept away !", he thought. So the man decided to give up the hunt so he would ensure his own life and safety .when he reached the shore once more, he took the bottle from the raft and tossed it back into the ocean. Finally, one more man was walking along the beach. He noticed the bottle, went over, popped it open, and was excited to find a map promising great treasure. He noticed someone had left a raft by the water's edge, so he took it and paddled out. He ...
113. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Lessons From a Child. [Stories]
... live at the intersection of country and city. Horses and cows in two directions; new subdivisions in the other two. Thousands of acres of woods and farmland are within walking distance replete with ponds and streams. This area is rich with Deer, Wild Turkey, Raccoon, Possum, Skunks, and many other creatures. It would be a doggy paradise except for little things like leash laws. Both of our dogs constantly yearn to run and will do so at any given opportunity. I have to keep them chained, even though my yard is fenced, so that I do not have to pay any fines for recovering them from the city pound. Overcoming the minor obstacle of the fence has never been a real challenge for either of our dogs. This morning I made the silly mistake of waiting until the last possible minute to put the dogs out. As I was walking the first one out, the second busted past me in a surprisingly ...
114. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Faith Is Everything. [Stories]
... of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. He even has scripture memorized! When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply," If I were any better, I would have already been raptured !" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. And give him a bible verse. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him," I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it ?" Michael replied," Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. ...
115. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Three Cows. [Stories]
... to eat it and enjoy it for this was the least he could do for me before we had to say our good byes. I kept digging, because I wanted to know what he had just done for me. It was then that my heart began to break, for I found out that Paw Phim had slaughtered his only cow, which gave milk to his grand-kids, so I could have beef at our last meal. I gently rebuked him and offered to give him money to buy another cow. It was then that these words poured out of his weather-beaten face," Joe, I didn't give my cow to you, I gave it to God. Do you think I would do that for you ?" Again, WOW! How does God make people like this? I don't know, but everyone should have a Paw Phim in his or her life! This story came to its powerful conclusion three years later. I went back ...
... crafty person. I want to be. I mean it's not that I want to make napkin holders, or styrofoam wreaths. I want to paint. I bought all the stuff I need, but I haven't started. I even have a video called," How to get started" I need one that says" how to get started to get started" I do spend time in craft stores. Mostly the big chain stores where they mark everything up and then give you a big discount, bringing the cost down to where it should be before discounts. Anyway, it was there that I learned a big lesson. Sitting in the aisle near the yarn was an older woman. Apparently she lives there because her name was painted on the back of the wooden rocking chair. I pretended to be shopping for something nearby because I wanted to hear what she was saying to a lady who joined her. I guess she was there to teach ...
... the land and its fruit with terror, but when Day flamed hot at the noon hour, it would hear the flowers say to the bees," What will we do when the sun shines no more? How will we get the power to open up our petals and present our beauty to add to the glory of life ?"" I don't know ," The bees would retort as they butted in to take their nectar." How will we gain our food to give us the power to carry the pollen as is our job ?" All of nature wondered what their fate would be. But all decided that they would continue to give their all for as long as they could, and in doing their job so well, someone would surely come to rescue them from their dilemma, because that was right and what was right had always been done and had always been right. Each had heard and watched Night yawning with no cares, assured of ...
118. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- One Piece at a Time. [Stories]
... wife and I are building onto our house. We're adding a fireplace and want to have a rock facade built from floor-to-ceiling. Do you do this type of work ?"" Well, I don't like working interior jobs much. I prefer outdoor jobs, like my boys and I are doing here"" I understand ," I replied." But most bricklayers won't work with rock. They like brick" He paused for a moment." What's your number? I'll give it some thought and call you" With a stubby pencil, sharpened with a knife, Fred wrote my number on a piece of cardboard." I'll give it some thought" he said again. Fred called a few days later and arrived at our home soon after. I showed him our plans and the room where the fireplace would be built." Well, like I said, I don't normally do this type of work, but I think I have some spare ...
... grace to believe in myself. God loves me with a fire that can never be quenched. I am special to him, even if I am not special to anyone else, including myself. I have tried to perfect myself, and I have failed. I have tried to believe the world s message, but I have found no answers. I have followed the paths forged by others only to find disaster at every bend in the road. Only God has given me the answers that I have sought. Peace. Love. Fulfillment. The change in my life is not a complicated one. It s not about how good I am or how I pray or how often I go to church. It s not about money or fame or popularity. I cannot speak for others. They must decide for themselves. I only know that the world has given me no happiness. After searching my entire life, I have only ...
120. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Thank You, Lord. [Stories]
... idly, doing nothing." This is the Acknowledging Section ," St. Peter told the soul." How is it that, there is no work here ?"" That's the sad thing ," St. Peter answered." After the people received the blessings they asked for, very few send their acknowledgments"" How does one acknowledge God's blessing ?"" Simple ," St. Peter answered." Just say, "'Thank you, Lord" Thank you Lord, for giving me the chance to share this message with others and also, for giving me so many wonderful people to share this with. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep. you are richer than 75 %of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace. you are among the top 8 %of the world's wealthy. If you ...
... a young man approached and said," Sir, what are you going to do with your flower ?" At first I did not know what he was talking about, but then I understood. I said," Do you mean this ?" as I pointed to the rose pinned to my coat. He said," Yes sir. I would like it if you are just going to throw it away" The little boy said," Sir, I'm going to give it to my granny. My mother and father got divorced last year. I was living with my mother, but I could not stay, so she sent me to live with my grandmother. She has been so good to me that I want to give that pretty flower to her for loving me" When the little boy finished I could hardly speak. My eyes filled with tears and I knew I had been touched in the depths of my soul. I reached up ...
122. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Amen Crackers. [Stories]
... Amen Crackers Have you ever heard of Amen Crackers ? I hadn t either until my granddaughter, Amanda, came for a visit. Amanda is not quite two but ever since her parents taught her to pray she always prays for each individual thing on her plate. One evening at suppertime Amanda was in the high chair and I went over to the kitchen counter to fill her plate. Her Mother had put three small crackers on her high chair tray to give her something to eat while I fixed her plate. I watched as she bowed her head and touched the first cracker with her index finger and said, Amen cracker . She touched the next cracker and said, Amen cracker , and then she went to the last cracker, touching it, and again saying, Amen Cracker She thought the tiny crackers were her supper so she was saying her prayers. Amanda has figured out that prayers have an ...
123. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Brother Like That. [Stories]
... He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car." There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it .then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about" Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said:" It is more blessed to give" My Holiday Wish for the World ...
... avoid a lengthy religious question and answer session-it didn't work." What do they pray for ?"" Well, they ask Gods ' forgiveness for sins and ask God to help people who are less fortunate." What is less fortunate ?"" A person who is less fortunate is someone who may not have a home, food, love or a job-not being fortunate can mean many things, Adam"" How does God help them? Does he give them food ?"" I guess he could give them food but God tends to use other people to help hungry people. God once said, 'What you do for the least of them, you do for me"" What does that mean, daddy ?"" It means that when you help the poorest of people, you are actually helping God. Do you understand ?"" Yes. Can we get candy now ?"" Okay, honey. Just a few more blocks ...
125. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Story of Soul. [Stories]
... you feel forgiven. You will never have to deal with Condemnation again. Temptation may come around, but I have someone I would like for you to meet who can help you with that. His name is Grace" Grace walked up to Soul and said," Hello Soul, I have been waiting for you. As a matter of fact all three of us have been waiting to meet you. I will help you take the way out of Temptation that God gives you as it comes up. The last person we want you to meet is Faith"" Hi Soul, I am Faith, and I will help you stay strong and keep your beliefs strong ," said Faith. Soul began to cry. When he began to cry Redemption said," This is what we were here for. Jesus redeemed you, saved you by Grace through Faith and gives you his Mercy. Jesus loves you Soul" Soul said," I love ...
126. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Working Holiday. [Stories]
... children and their families are going away for Christmas" Our search for the pork slowed down as our conversation progressed. Her husband, Jack, had passed away in the spring. The children wanted to cancel their holiday vacation and stay home, but she insisted they go, and made Christmas plans of her own." I'm not having a tree or putting up decorations. I've had more good Christmases than any one person could ever hope for. This year, I'm giving back" The week before Christmas, she's going to help a couple of organizations distribute food and gift baskets to the needy. On Christmas Day, she's going to serve food at the Downtown Mission. Her eyes were firm and clear as she spoke. No sign of the sadness you'd expect to see in the eyes of a person about to spend their first Christmas alone after forty-one years of marriage. I soon found out why." I'm giving my own self as a ...
... in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and told her to leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said:" Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can" John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer-man that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer-man said in a very reluctant voice," Do you have a grocery list ?" Louise replied," Yes sir"" Okay" he said," put your grocery list on the scales and ...
... their debut. Concessionaires swarmed all over the place." Cotton candy! Snow cones! Get your ice-cold snow cones here !" The smell of elephants mingled with the sticky-sweet aroma of cotton candy, drew me back to my childhood. But on this special night, instead of feeling the disappointment of merely watching from the sidelines, I would be performing! While Carlos began carrying the perch equipment out to ring three, I relived the crash course he and his wife had given me the previous week in Perch Acts 101. Watching Carlos and Brenda, the young woman they'd hired, performing the act three times a day, five days a week during our entire first season, I'd found myself picturing how easy the act would be. How graceful I would look. I was wrong! Looking on, while Brenda had effortlessly climbed a pole balanced on Carlos ' shoulders to do various poses twenty-five feet above the ground, and doing it myself, were ...
129. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- One Miracle. [Stories]
... One Miracle" Boy, I could really use a miracle right now !" he said. I was having breakfast at a local restaurant when I overheard two men talking. I thought about how many times I've said that. It then lead me to this question:" What if God gave me one miracle ?" Not one that I asked for, but one that was given to me to do what I wanted. One miracle that could change the world. One miracle that could save lives. One miracle that could bring joy into the lives of people all around me. One miracle that could comfort the sick, heal a broken heart, empower others to rise above their own challenges. One miracle that could. go ahead name it. What if you woke up one day and this revelation came to you that you held the power of using one miracle to impact the world in such a unique way as to leave a lasting and forever ...
... 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 ...
131. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- God How Can You Use Me In The Condition I'm In? [Stories]
... local recreation club to which we belong. I worked at perfecting my diving skills while the kids splashed and played, soaking up the sun's penetrating rays. The late afternoon and evening, we spent at the ball field where our oldest son played Little League baseball. I noticed dizziness and a blurring of my vision but brushed it off thinking I had just over done in the heat of the day. Over the next weeks the symptoms only worsened and I was hospitalized and given the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. That conclusion was reached over thirty years ago. I was less than happy with the verdict but did not let it defeat me. I have never really blamed anything or anyone for the sentence that was doled out to me that day. I did question what the revenge of such a disease would mostly mean and what were my options for treatment. I then decided to live my life the best I could in spite of the likely conclusions I ...
132. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- God In A Rose. [Stories]
... God in payment for our sin. God the Father was pleased with Jesus as He gave His life for us on the cross, and His obedience is likened to a fragrant offering. The more time we spend with Jesus Christ, getting to know Him better, the more we will resemble Him; we will begin to bear His fragrance. In the Bible, we read that through us, God spreads the knowledge of Christ; that, everywhere we go, we give off a sweet scent rising to God. This is how it is in our relationship with Jesus-If we immerse ourselves in reading His Word; in knowing and following Him; we will pick up His sweetness,-the fragrance of Christ-and it will be noticeable to everyone we meet. The third feature of the rose seems undesirable at first glance. We look at a rose-breathtakingly beautiful-and we can't help but wonder: Why would our Creator-God make ...
... taught us the importance of living for the day and making the most of each day. She taught us the meaning of dignity. She taught and showed so much in those six weeks that the film was shown throughout the nation. Her heart and spirit captured the love of all those whose lives she touched. Marnie told me that I was her inspiration; however, in reality, she was my inspiration. She inspired and motivated everyone to believe that one should never give in nor give up. Marnie's condition gradually deteriorated. She and her family continued to receive pessimistic news from the doctors. It was like being bombarded with constant negativity. How much could they take? Then, one day, when I called the family's home her mother sounded very happy and excited." Mike, we finally have some good news. The new medication is shrinking the tumor !" Marnie's mother's excitement was contagious. Finally, some good news. I was so ...
134. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Gift of Life [Stories]
... Gift of Life Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a disease and needed a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying," Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza" As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice," Will I start to die right away ?" Being young, ...
... a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The captain lit a lantern. Suddenly, he caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his son. The boy had been studying music in the south when the war broke out. Without telling his father, he enlisted in the Confederate Army. The following morning, heart broken, the father asked for permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was granted. The captain had also asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for the son at the funeral. That request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. Out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician. The captain chose a bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece ...
136. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Quiet Voice [Stories]
... papers at home until he found one flat, shiny piece of gold foil." Why am I doing this ?" he asked himself. Art had never worked with the shiny gold paper; it didn't fold as easily or neatly as the crisp multicolored papers. But that little voice kept nudging. Art tried to ignore the voice." Why gold foil anyway? Paper is much easier to work with ," he grumbled. The voice continued." Do it! And give it to a special person" By now Art was getting a little cranky." What special person ?" he asked the voice." You'll know which one ," the voice said. That evening Art carefully folded and shaped the unforgiving gold foil until it became as graceful and delicate as a real crane about to take flight. He packed the exquisite crane in the box along with about 200 other colorful paper cranes he'd made over the previous few weeks. The next day at ...
137. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- In my world.... [Stories]
... plan." I spoke to Jake and told him that I wasn't going to play the next game so that he would have a chance"" You did ?"" Jake thanked my a hundred times ," he said smiling. That afternoon he called the coach to tell him. Okay, so this is where my fantasy world bubble gets popped. This is the moment in the big movie when an adult sees the wonderful, caring compassion of a fellow team player and gives that" rah, rah, rah" speech that causes him to discover the hidden strength in the boy who kept the bench warm. No. Instead he chastises Johnny for even considering this. He berates him for trying to tell him how to coach. He even tells him that if he doesn't show up he will" let his team down" What a powerful moment lost. How incredible it would have been if the coach praised him for caring. Supported him for ...
138. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Harvest Moon. [Stories]
... " With the overtime you've been working you'd be up all night .besides it'd be too dark"" I know one night that I could do it !" he said running to the bookshelf. He grabbed the Farmer's Almanac and started flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for." Aha! There's still one more full moon in October" As it happened, the harvest moon had yet to pass. They say it's called the harvest moon because it gives farmers more light and more time to collect their crops." If the Lord gives us clear weather, I think I can do it ," he said. And so a few days later, after a long shift at the factory, my grandpa made his way to the field where my grandma met him in the truck with dinner and a steaming thermos of strong, black coffee. The weather was cold but clear, and the moon was brilliant. He worked through the ...
... new dad are there. Ever since Amelia took Jackie home to become her son, she had a new outlook on life. She took a new interest in the" cases" that came into her office each day. To her they were no longer merely names in the computer or on paper. To her they were people just like herself, who had not had the opportunities she had had. She did all she could to see to it that each case was given individual attention. It wasn't easy. She ran into political snags and red tape, but she did not rest until she knew she had done everything in her power to do the job God had given her to do. Please visit my website at: www.occupytillicome.com. I'd love it if you left a message.~Helen Dowd~[ by Helen Dowd Copyright 2004, (helendowd @shaw.ca)-submitted by: Helen Dowd] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
140. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- God's Prayer Scales [Stories]
... in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longwise, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said:" Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can" John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice," Do you have a grocery list ?" Louise replied" Yes sir !"" OKAY ," he said," put your grocery list on the scales and whatever ...
... He turned to the second indentured servant and asked," And what do you do for me ?"" Sir ," he replied," I am an educated man. I am well-versed in literature, music, mathematics and science. I teach your children all that I know so that one day they may leave your house and make a success in the world. And when they do, I hope that you will grant me my freedom. In the meantime, you give me a wage for what I do" Again, the master nodded. Then he turned to a lowly slave who was standing nearby, and asked," And what do you do for me ?"" You know that I love you, my lord, and my only wish is to do whatever you ask ," the slave answered without hesitation." You bought me and I know that I will be a slave for life, therefore I earn no wage. But you ...
142. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Lassie Dog. [Stories]
... look forward to each episode as Lassie would save the day on each and every airing of this show. His mother had memorized Kevin's question as it was sure to follow at the end of every episode of" Lassie" Per usual, he quickly spun around while sitting 'Indian Style ' on the floor and asked," Mom ?, Can I have a Lassie dog? Please mom !?" As she gazed into his eager eyes she replied," Honey, I'd love to give you a dog like Lassie, but I've said it before -dogs like Lassie like to be outside and run" Desperately trying to convince him she added," Kevin, I have told you over and over again that our yard is too small for a Lassie dog !" Kevin appeared pensive for a moment and then excitingly exclaimed," I have an idea mom! I'll teach the Lassie dog to stay by me all of the time so she won't get lost or hurt !" ...
143. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- It's Never Too Late. [Stories]
... It's Never Too Late Who knows what the path of life will hold for us. Not even a crystal ball, fortune teller, or any other psychic being would have the answer. To get through this sometimes rough road called life I have personally found that you must have faith in your own personal strength. Pursue your dreams hoping they will become your reality, and never give up. Dreams are what reality is made of. At the age of 17 like many young women I had been mesmerized on a flight to Europe by a Stewardess. She looked like a goddess to me. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Watching her walk through the cabin performing her duties, impeccably dressed, coiffed, and manicured. My stay in Europe was for three weeks and all I could think about was the flight home, to watch another stewardess in action. At the age of 19 I was in my second year of college and not ...
... Burdens Give Us Wings An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on. Finally the birds came to God and said," If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we'll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help" So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the ...
... Burdens Give Us Wings An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on. Finally the birds came to God and said," If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we'll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help" So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seem to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the ...
... was raining on their parade. The signs that the prophet Isaiah and others had predicted were largely ignored. The fact that Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin proves that He was truly sent from God. His humble birth illustrates that He came to save all of mankind, not just the elite. His birth on that night of nights, in a humble cave in Bethlehem, began a chain of events that changed the world forever." Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7: 14 NIV) [by: Ed Price-from 'Themestream '] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
147. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Who's Your Daddy? [Stories]
... time he got to the back door, the new preacher not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him," Son, who's your daddy ?" The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. By now, everyone knew the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy? ' This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy. 'Wait a minute! ' he said, 'I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God ' With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said: 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it ' With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the ...
148. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Who You Are Speaks Louder to Me Than Anything You Can Say. [Stories]
... One young man said that his weekend had not been very good. He d had his wisdom teeth extracted. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. His question reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before: Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day , I said to the young man. I choose to be cheerful. Let me give you an example , I continued. The other sixty students in the class ceased their chatter and began to listen to our conversation. In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, about seventeen miles down the freeway from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those seventeen miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter-mile down the road ...
149. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Teddy Bear's Call [Stories]
... . He continued," Dad was going to take Mom and me with him later on this year. I remember him saying, 'Someday this old truck will be yours, Teddy Bear ' But I know I will never get to ride in an 18-wheeler again. But this old base will keep me in touch with all my trucker friends. Teddy Bear's going to back out now and leave you alone, 'cause it's almost time for Mom to come home. But you give me a shout when you're passing through and I'll be happy to come back to you" Well I came back and said," Before you 10-10, what's your home 20, little CB friend ?" He gave me his home address and I didn't hesitate one second because this hot load of freight was just 'gonna have to wait. I turned that truck around on a dime and headed for Jackson Street 229. As I rounded the corner, I got one heck of a ...
... Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Pie Turkeys and cornucopias and pilgrim hats. Seasoned stuffing hot from the oven. Creamed onions, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Uncles and aunts and cousins to play with. Grandmothers and grandfathers with family gathered round. Children waiting for the Great Pumpkin rise over Charlie Brown's pumpkin patch and dads watching college football. A day to relax and maybe rake leaves in the afternoon. But Thanksgiving? How much will our celebrations on Thanksgiving have to do with giving thanks? A glance at the first Thanksgiving brings it all back. On December 21, 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock. Through the dead of winter the colony struggled with poor and meager food, strenuous labor, a biting wind that chilled to the bone, and the ravages of disease. Nearly half the 102 Mayflower passengers did not live to see Spring refresh Cape Cod Bay. But God sent Indians -Samoset, Squanto, and Massasoit -to help the English settlers plant ...
151. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Teacup Story. [Stories]
... I would gag. 'Oh, please; Stop it, Stop it! ' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!"" Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited-and waited, wondering" What's he going to do to me next? An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself"" And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful! ' Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then, ...
152. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Teach the Children. [Stories]
... plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly represents the blood shed by Him" Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said," Teach the children that God so loved the world that HE gave HIS begotten SON"" Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift." Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy BABE and presented HIM with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men" Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree." Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds ' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper" He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL." Teach the children that it was the angels ...
... to 1-easy. After my husband found what he was looking for, we grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Food Court. I felt a little restless and decided to stay behind and do some research at the book store. I grabbed a pile of reference books, found myself an empty chair, and started making notes. Four hours slipped away from me. Still feeling restless, I decided to use the gift certificate from the bookstore my daughter had given me for Christmas. I found a beautiful book called 'The Quiet Little Woman ' by Louisa May Alcott, and picked it up for my granddaughter. Then I found 'A Memory of Christmas Tea ' by Tom Hegg, and picked that one up for myself. Since both of the books were Christmas books, they were 50 %off. Perfect. My gift certificate would cover the cost of both of them. My research was done, my shopping was finished and I was ...
154. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- What Inspires Me? [Stories]
... one year later, I returned to his small shop and I thank him once again. I wanted him to know that kindness and good deeds are truly appreciated by some, even in this day and age, and that I will forever remember that kindness. People just being good, kind and respectful to one another is what inspires me most. Those emotions are free to everyone who wish to use them for themselves. They are also free to those who wish to give them away.~Roger Dean Kiser~True stories from The Life and Times of Roger Dean Kiser http :// www.geocities.com / trampolineone / survive / srv080.htm [by: Roger Dean Kiser Copyright 2007 (trampolineone @earthlink.net)-submitted by: Roger Dean Kiser] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
155. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Where 'Ya Been? [Stories]
... , then find a church where it IS-church isn't a cure-all for all of our problems, but it IS a place that you can be surrounded by those who will listen, and those who will pray for you. and you will hear Bible teaching there that you will not hear on the lake! So again I ask you-what's your excuse? I pray that as you examine this area of your life, that God would move in your heart and give you an intense desire to return to the sanctuary of the church-and that you can once again find the joy of worshipping God with other believers! [Author Unknown-from Denial] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit" The boy, looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes, and asked" which one wins Grandfather ?" The Grandfather, smiled and said," The one I feed"" A new commandment I Give unto you, That ye Love one another; as I Have Loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My Disciples, if ye have Love one to another" (John 13: 34-35) [Author Unknown-from chaplain777 @yahoogroups.com] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
157. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Autograph. [Stories]
... superior, but somehow I don t think that was a part of his character. Often in the tumultuous days of my bitter divorce, I would think of that very famous man, who touched my life with so much grace. Now, nearly forty years later, it occurs to me, how blessed I am, that I did not invade the privacy of that famous man. He gave me a precious memory, and, by the way, he did give me his autograph. He wrote his autograph upon my life!~Jaye Lewis~Jaye Lewis is an award winning inspirational writer, who lives and writes in southwestern Virginia. She is also a frequent contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Jaye writes freelance, and she finds much of her inspiration from the beautiful mountains which surround her home." The Lips of God" is a true story, written from the heart of Jaye's life. Read more of Jaye's life ...
... , he s not looking for Bill. He wants to see me. I know what he wants. He wants to make a phone call. He doesn t read, so he hands me the little notepad someone at the retirement home filled with the phone numbers of his friends. I dial, and he talks. He doesn t talk long because, sadly, no one ever takes too much time to talk to him, but he will keep giving me names as long as I ll dial the numbers. Over the years I ve missed a few calls because he doesn t seem to recognize the call waiting beep. Or perhaps he just doesn t want to acknowledge it and miss precious seconds in his already short conversations. Normally, I don t mind making calls for Mr. Whiteside. But this particular day, I just wanted to be left alone. I was deciding which bills were most ...
... Carefully, Not Sure If I Came To Offer Them A Slices Of Yesterday's Bread. They Hesitated Now, But As The Summer Crowds Fill The Park The Geese And Ducks Become Quite Brazen As They Intrude Upon The Picnic Areas Like Street Gangs Almost Threatening The Visitors To Share The Goodies. But For Now We Kept Our Distance. They Had This Look That Seemed To Say," Oh, He's Only A Dreamer. Probably A Writer At Worst. They Have Nothing To Give But Themselves" They Moved On. Off Along The Shoreline, At A Point That Seemed Too Narrow To Venture On To, I Could See An Woman. She Sat Quietly With Little Movement. I Assumed Like Me, She Was In Retreat From The World. A Light Rain Began To Fall And Speckled The Calmness Of The Water Interrupting My Glassy Stare At The Reflection Of The Gray Clouds. It Reminded Me That Life Is Often Interrupted Just When Things Are Calm And We ...
160. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- That's God Talk. [Stories]
... Brilliant thoughts, spirit filled words with wings that take flight in my soul and flood my mind with a million possibilities. But, they don't see it. I do"" Like the movie" The Sixth Sense ," she said laughing." Exactly. I see dead people, too ," I said slowly and deliberately. The smile went off her face. I laughed at her." They are dead to the world! Dead to the gifts that God has given them. Their ears can't hear the God talk. So I see it, I hear it, I write about it and talk about it in my speeches and seminars"" Maybe it's another way ," she said." Another way for what ?" I asked." Maybe God knows that the only way He can get to some of them is to use people like you, writers, poets and speakers. Your words, His thoughts ," she said." Yes ...
161. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Little Shepherd Boy (healing at Christmas). [Stories]
... and headed out of Bethlehem, toward their flocks still grazing in the hills. They had not worried about the animals straying. Surely God would tend to them while they were on their mission. Instead of worrying about their animals, they shouted and praised God for his goodness and mercy toward all mankind. As they walked toward the Judean hills, Aram's father also marveled at what he had seen, but admitted that he had had a nervous moment when the woman had given Aram the baby to hold." I did not think you had such strength in that arm ," he said." Have you not noticed ?" one of the others said." Noticed ?"" Yes, your son's arm. Am I the only one of us, including Aram, that has actually seen what has happened? Take a close look" Aram's father fell to his knees and squinted at the arm through the darkness. Then he let out a little cry ...
162. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- You Are Loved. [Stories]
... down fine. My beard, however, was another matter as it kept sliding halfway down my face. I think that more than a few of the kids recognized me, but it didn't matter. They still rejoiced in seeing Santa. They still laughed and delighted in their small gifts and candy canes. They still felt joyous and happy. They still knew that they were loved and that was all that mattered to them. If there is one thing that I could give to each of you at Christmas time and every day of the year, it would be that knowledge that you are loved. You are loved and watched over by a greater love than you could ever imagine. You are loved by God who made you, who delights in you, and who wants you to be happy. In all the difficulties, problems, and heartaches this world brings, you are loved. In all the obstacles you must overcome, challenges you must ...
... mother was able to get in the car by herself" I said," What? That woman almost fell! She was struggling terribly! I couldn't even leave her !"" I know ," my fiance said," and I told her that she should be ashamed of herself and she just looked angry and rolled her eyes" She never said thank you. That's not what I wanted. I just wanted her to CARE. The Universal Law says: What you give you get back. Sadly, someday the daughter will be the one struggling with a cane, unable to get into a car, and there will be no one to help her. I hope she thinks of that and makes some changes before it's too late." For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged" (Matthew 7: 2 NLT) [by Ellen ...
... the official first day of spring is determined. The reason for some confusion over whether it is the 20th or 21st of March is because it can happen on either day and it also depends on where you happen to live upon planet earth. The calculations are not exact either and differ quite a few minutes according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. It goes by the Gregorian calendar and also takes leap year into account. The time is computed in Universal Time, which gives the time for the Vernal Equinox this year as March 21, 2007, at 12: 07 A.M. To calculate the time for where we live here in the Central Time Zone, five hours should be subtracted from Universal Time. That means that Spring happened here in Missouri on March 20, 2007, at approximately 7: 07 P.M. Although Spring is officially here, we have yet to see very many days of mild weather that we can really get out and do ...
165. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Your Wake Up Call! [Stories]
... to the world. For as the ugly duckling became the graceful swan, you will develop into the perfection only you can be. The greatest, shining example of YOU! Now, go and watch this ordinary, simple, woman who is mocked by the crowd and judges until .until God said" Shut up and listen! She is my Child !" And the self centered opened their hearts. The cynical became believers. The world was reminded that everyone is a gift given by God. Yes, that includes you, my friend. Follow this link, watch, listen and then thank God, for this day. It is" Your Wake Up Call !" Susan Boyle (Click the Link to watch and listen). Thank you, Susan Boyle!" I believe in You !" J~Bob Perks~[ by: Bob Perks Copyright 2009 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved ...
166. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Angel Project. [Stories]
... and today marked the climax of the Angel Project. This was the day that families in need could pick up food hampers and toys. Everything was donated through the generosity of strangers. Finally it was our turn at the table and I found it difficult to speak past the lump in my throat. I was overwhelmed by all that was happening around me. Every box in that massive room represented the love of others. Every toy had been carefully selected, to be given away, yet the receiver and the sender would never meet. Instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning, instead of baking cookies or decorating a tree, these people had dropped everything to sort, label and number boxes, and to hand out delivery addresses to volunteers to drop off boxes for those who had no transportation. I could feel something extraordinary there in that building. It wasn't tangible nor quite definable but there was something special, beyond friendliness and I felt privileged to be ...
167. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Thanks for listening! [Stories]
... of maps. He never asked either one of us what we did. So, if I do believe God sent him, what was the message here? He needed to talk and I needed to be reminded how important it was to listen to people if only for a few seconds, a few hours, or for a lifetime. He apparently never learned that lesson. I did worry about him the rest of the day. I worried that most people would not give him the opportunity. A few people on the train made derogatory comments to me because they felt sorry that we had to listen to him. Perhaps I was sent to him. Maybe he was praying to God to meet someone who would listen. It does work both ways. It is a fact, God gave us two ears and one mouth, because we need to listen twice as much as we speak. Thanks for listening!" I believe in You !" J ...
... with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled." Thanks ," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began:" Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach .but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story" I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile." Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me ...
169. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Thanks For The Thorns [Stories]
... problem. We rescued our marriage, our love, really. Last year at Thanksgiving I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose stems-stems!-as a reminder of what she learned from" thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition" Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra," I highly recommend the Special !"" I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life ," Sandra said to Jenny." Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. ...
170. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Miracle. [Stories]
... from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!" And what do you want ?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice." I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ...
... be the easiest person to live with. But all in all I know the Lord has brought us together. Has it always been easy? No way !!! We've had our bad and good, tragedy and sorrow, but without a doubt the Lord has strengthen us and uses us to erode a lot of rough edges in our spirit. Yes, I guess my friend knew what he was talking about so very long ago. The Lord did trust us a lot to give us to each other!~Joyce Sykes~Copyright 2006 Joyce Sykes lives in southeastern North Carolina with her husband David. She is a mother of three and grandmother of four. Her prayer is to be used by the Lord to encourage others in a deeper walker with Him. She may be reached at: NuggetsofJoy2 @aol.com. [by: Joyce Sykes, Copyright 2006, (NuggetsofJoy2 @aol.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved ...
172. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- They Wont Let Me In [Stories]
... They Wont Let Me In It was a beautiful Sunday morning. People were filling the church to its full capacity! As they entered, each were given a bulletin filled with announcements, topic of today's sermon, what songs they would sing and who to pray for. At the end of the line stood an older man. His clothes were filthy and you could tell that he had not bathed in days. His face was covered with whiskers, for he had not shaved for a very long time. When he reached the usher, he removed his tattered old brown hat in respect. His hair was long, dirty, and a tangled mess. He had no shoes on his feet, and wore only soiled black socks to cover the sores upon his feet. The Usher looked at him turning up his nose at the old man and said," Uh, I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we can't let you in. You ...
173. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Cab Ride. [Stories]
... lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said," I'm tired. Let's go now" We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair." How much do I owe you ?" she asked, reaching into ...
174. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Water of Life. [Stories]
... The Water of Life It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through. Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn't see some rain soon. we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking ...
175. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Visit. [Stories]
... and 100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant Vanes would please go and see him. Without hesitation, he answered," Absolutely" Then I asked," If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital ?"" Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives them ," he replied. The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant Vane's office just as we had planned. I went to work, and that evening, I returned home and phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor. If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's ...
176. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- This Is The Moment. [Stories]
... recognition of words I wrote. There is an incredibly beautiful picture of a young child making a wish with a dandelion and the poem from the story on the opposite page. My words. her innocent beauty. Later, after having dinner with Marianne, I told her that I had something special for dessert. She closed her eyes in anticipation of some velvety chocolate dream. Placing it in her hands and watching her response brought tears to my eyes. I have not given her much in life as far as security, wealth or lavish gifts. This was something I held as more valuable than any of that. Her reaction showed that she felt the same way. Later I walked into our back yard and stood upon the small deck outside our shed we call" Hope House" Looking toward the near harvest moon, I held the book up and said," Look, God, at what you and I have done !" Then I shared ...
... with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Every verse was alive with meaning, and I felt His dear Presence with me, even in that foreign place." The Lord is my Shepherd ," I reminded myself as I read." It is He Who led me to these particular 'green pastures ' at this precise time. He'll give me peace, and calm my fears. This path is the one He has chosen for me" The" shadow-of-death" verse was hardest. I could die during surgery! But I didn't want to die and leave my beloved family. Could they possibly cope without me? (Now I hope you will not see me as totally self-centered here; I'm not claiming to be" Perfect Mom" Some other time we may look at the other side of the coin, but ...
... not like she is going to look back on that part of her life, sigh, and say," College. the best twenty years of my life !" She attended college while working full time, and she studied extremely hard, especially the past couple of years as she pushed toward her goal of a college degree. Many times she felt like quitting, and if it wasn't for her support group of other nontraditional students that cared for her, she would have given up on her goal. Many times she would call one of the other students she knew and tell them she wanted to quit, and would be talked out of it. Then a while later this student would call her and say she wanted to quit and Kim would talk her out of it. (Luckily, they both didn't want to quit at the same time !) I have the utmost respect for Kim. It takes a special person to stick with a goal as ...
179. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Diploma. [Stories]
... like she is going to look back on that part of her life, sigh, and say," College. the best twenty years of my life !" She attended college while working full time, and she studied extremely hard, especially the past couple of years as she pushed toward her goal of a college degree. Many times she felt like quitting, and, if it weren't for her support group of other nontraditional students that cared for her, she would have given up on her goal. Many times she would call one of the other students she knew and tell them she wanted to quit, and would be talked out of it. Then a while later this student would call her and say she wanted to quit and Kim would talk her out of it. (Luckily, they both didn't want to quit at the same time !) I have the utmost respect for Kim. It takes a special person to stick with a goal as ...
180. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Emperor's Seeds. [Stories]
... Seeds An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose His successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said," It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you" The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued." I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor !" One boy named Ling was there that day, and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother ...
181. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Three Candles. [Stories]
... no hope it grabbed for my candle of Hope. I screamed in sorrow as the candle blew out. The evil voice raged once again telling me that all was lost. I reached out for the candle of Faith and held on with all my strength. But the whirlwind spun harder and faster and my weak, broken hands could hold on no longer. The candle of Faith blew out too. The voice from within the whirlwind laughed heartily and said," Give me the candle of Love !" I shook with fear. Hopelessness and confusion swirled around in my mind, but at this darkest moment a mighty voice spoke to the whirlwind," No. The candle of Love is not for you to take. Go away! This child is MINE! Then He leaned down to this broken vessel and said," Be calm, My child. Your journey is not over yet" He lifted up the candle of Love, still burning ...
... and his friends begin again. Bang, bang, bang. Peck, peck, peck. As I look carefully, I can see that this particular telephone pole has been a favorite of generations of Acorn Woodpeckers. Every deep crack, every widening crevice is jammed with hundreds of acorns from the Live Oak tree across the road. Every hole whittled out in years gone by is restuffed with an acorn against the coming winter. I try to count them, but soon give up. Their number is beyond hundreds and must be more than a thousand-enough to feed an entire colony of woodpeckers the whole winter long. They will not starve, for their food tree-their sterile food tree friend-sustains them. The childless fir will live on in the woodpeckers and their hatchlings. And as I see the pole surrounded by its woodpeckers, bearing a harvest not its own for a family not its own, I sense it has grown more ...
... to the earth. He made the same journey that all snowflakes make, but because of who he is, he defeated the foe of the snowflakes and took away his power. And, if you will but trust in him and in me, and keep us at the center of your hearts, and if you will remember that we are with you at all times, a special wind you haven't known will keep you safe, guiding you, teaching you, and giving you peace along your way. Then, no matter what tactic your enemy may use to try to destroy you, when your traveling days are done, you will make your landing in a new and better world. I myself will be there to welcome you. At that point your life here will be at an end, but you will have fulfilled your purpose and you will have joy, for from the clouds I will lift you up to myself once more as I ...
184. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Stuffing! [Stories]
... . I couldn't wait to eat everything-turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish-and especially, the remarkable dressing. The dressing was the most delicious and luscious Probably, because I helped! I can still taste it today as my mouth waters. Every year at Thanksgiving that was my job-to help make the stuffing taste great! Even when I could no longer stir, crack the eggs, cut the celery and onions, etc, my mom would always give me a taste and ask me," What does it need ?" It was a special time. Not only for Thanksgiving but a special time for my mom and me. I am thankful to her for allowing me to help make the stuffing. It was a time I'll always remember. A time I will always hold dear to my heart.~Lori Andalee Hinderer~Lori says," I'm 47 years 'young! ' I have a rare form of muscular dystrophy since ...
185. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Family Strength. [Stories]
... raised my glass in the air." Tibor, thank you! I thank you for your courage. Many years ago, you made a decision to flee your homeland, cross a guarded border, and make your home in Canada. This lady beside me was born in a far-away country but now sits beside me as my wife. It was your strength and courage that made this possible" With a trembling voice, I continued," Tibor, thank you for giving me your daughter" The room was quiet, except for muffled sobs. I returned to my seat and wiped the tears from my eyes. The afternoon flew by. We danced, hugged, and excepted words of encouragement. At one point during the festivities, I managed to find my mother-in-law alone. I crouched beside her chair and said," Mom, you made it. I'm so glad you're here" She hugged me," Michael, I'm very happy. ...
186. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Teacup. [Stories]
... the teacup, heard myself saying something I never thought I would hear myself saying," Master, forgive me, I did not trust you. I thought you were going to harm me, I did not know you had a glorious future and a hope for me. I was too shortsighted, but I want to thank you. I want to thank you for the suffering. I want to thank you for the process of pain. Here I am! I give you myself-fill me; pour from me, use me as you see fit. I really want to be a vessel that brings you glory within my life" Comment-And all God's people said AMEN. [Author Unknown-from Gerard J. Mahar] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
187. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Rock / P.U.S.H. [Stories]
... decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind" You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it" This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man." Why kill myself over this ?" he thought." I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough" And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord." Lord" he said," I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is ...
188. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Football Player. [Stories]
... my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind ?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile," Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it !" Like the athlete's father, God is always there cheering for us. Our loving God is always reminding us to go on, offering us a hand, knowing what is best, giving us what we need and not simply what we want. God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life is meaningful if lived for the Highest. Live for the Creator, who is watching us in the game of life! [Author Unknown-from Nancy Cantafio (InspiredBuffalo @lighthouse.net)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
189. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Three Trees [Stories]
... in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it. The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. [Author Unknown-from cindybp @snet.net (Cindy P)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
190. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Perfect Mistake. [Stories]
... slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China! The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was really upset by the thought of having to buy another pair." It's not fair ," he told God as he drove home in frustration." I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this" Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage." But most of all ," he said," I must thank you for the glasses you ...
... Weathering The Storms If you're a homeowner you most likely own a ladder, an implement of disaster, a necessity for every do-it-yourselfer. I own one of these devices-a twelve-footer-given to me by a neighbor. Normally, only things within my reach are in danger of destruction. With my ladder, however, I can cover a twelve-foot radius. Within this radius can be found many breakable items: windows, cars, power lines, and neighbors. I once had the misfortune of living in a mobile home. Older mobiles, like the one in which I lived, had metal roofs; a source of many headaches. Constructed with two-foot wide strips of aluminum and pieced together with folded seams, they are prone to leaks. In the winter the snow builds up on the low sloped panels. Heat lost through the poorly insulated roof causes it to melt during relatively warm days. Water trapped under the snow seeps into the seams ...
192. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Burden-Bearer. [Stories]
... 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 ...
193. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Welcome Home. [Stories]
... is that they served and gave of themselves that we might live in freedom. We can also show our appreciation to those serving us right now by writing letters, sending e-mails, or sending packages to our soldiers.*Today is a good day to be grateful, there's no time like the present and it's the only time that we have for certain. When we see or hear of a soldier coming home from war, most important of all, let's remember to give them a heartfelt," Thank you... and... Welcome Home !"~Pamela Perry Blaine~pamyblaine @blaines.us Send Pam an e-mail and let her know what you thought of her story!*Link to a site for more information on ways to support our troops: www.americasupportsyou.mil / americasupportsyou / index.aspx About Pamela: She enjoys writing, music, and country living. She writes" Pam's Corner" for the local newspaper and many of her writings have been ...
... ." But if you do, what will all your friends-the ones who are watching us right now-think about you ?"" They will think that I am the strongest ," yelled the frustrated bear." I don't think so. I do not choose to fight you just because you choose to fight with me. I would only fight to defend one of the cows in my care. If you attack one of them, then I'd be obliged to give you a good lashing"" I can't attack them ," protested the bear." They can't fight back. There would be no victory to it"" Exactly ," answered the bull." But what if you did? And what if I should try to defend them? What if something should happen to me? Who would protect them then? You? Would you trust me to protect your cubs if something happened to you? What would happen to your family if ...
195. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- What can I do? [Stories]
... woman asked the man nearby." She doesn't know what she's doing !" he replied. Immediately I turned and said," You're wrong. She knows perfectly well what she's doing. The computer failed. She didn't" I turned back and she was smiling." I'm so glad I had you when this happened ," she said softly. After a few minutes everything was up and running. She totaled the sale, I handed her money and as she began to give me my change I reached out with both hands and held hers. She appeared slightly startled as she looked up at me." Thanks, you did a great job. I hope things get better" Her eyes welled with tears as she whispered" Thank you"" What can I do ?" The timing was perfect. I was struggling with my own issues and God gave me the perfect chance to touch someone else who was struggling, too. Someone is in pain ...
196. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Choice. [Stories]
... be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be mounted on the stony brow of another hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear." Will you go down there ?" the angel asked." I will"" Is there no other way ?"" There is not"" Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier to not give the choice ?"" It would ," the Creator spoke slowly." But to remove the choice is to remove the love" He look around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind. Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant ...
197. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Vacancy. [Stories]
... of green stuff. We all leave the table having eaten far too much while exercising far too little restraint. The triptophan suddenly immerses the male populace of this small village into a comical bob-n-weave as one by one; we succumb to" slumber so deep" while our children bounce on our belly's," like bowls full of jelly". The presents were opened and everyone ooh'ed and aah'ed and then quickly contracted an advanced case of amnesia with neither the gift nor the giver being recalled. A clash of cultures takes place between those who have children and those that do not. Invariably, a childless in-law (generally male) cheers like they're at a football game, 50 yard line, 5th row, isle seat. Why? They are the first person to land on Boardwalk. Three mom's scurry away to calm previously sleeping children-the game is forgotten. And as comfortable as this family Inn has been, it is not home. I ...
198. Inspirational and Christian HUMOR -- The Dangers of Bread. [Stories]
... crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread. Bread is made from a substance called" dough" It has been proven that as little as one pound of" dough" can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month! Primitive tribal societies that have no bread, exhibit a low occurrence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease and osteoporosis. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat, actually begged for bread after only two days. Bread is often a" gateway" food item, leading the user to harder items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person ...
... she became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said," This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children" And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said:" I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them. And the children said," You will always walk with us ...
... The Church The Bible Built Many years ago the Rev. Robert Burris, now 92 years of age, worked for four and one-half years as a missionary in South China. As part of his ministry he journeyed into the mountains carrying copies of the Scriptures in Chinese for distribution. In this way, although he could not speak fluent Chinese, the people were given God's word. Toward the end of his term Mr. Burris and three companions began a 180-mile journey with 4, 000 copies of the Chinese New Testament. In the first ten days about half of these New Testaments had been distributed. Then, in the remote countryside, they were stopped by five armed bandits who took everything -money, clothing, shoes-and the remaining 2, 000 copies of the New Testament. Mr. Burris and friends limped home barefooted in their shirts and trousers, glad to be alive. Approximately 25 years later when Mr. Burris was ...
201. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Pretty One. [Stories]
... Something s wrong , said Judy. I reached over and picked up the puppy. My heart sank inside my chest when I saw the little puppy had a cleft lip and palate and could not close its little mouth. We had gone through this once before last year with another one of our cockers. That experience really hurt me when the puppy died and I had to bury it. If there was any way to save this animal I was going to give it my best shot. All the puppies born that night, with the exception of the one small pup, were very valuable because of their unusual coloring. Most would bring between five to seven hundred dollars each. The next day I took the puppy to the vet. I was told nothing could be done unless we were willing to spend about a thousand dollars to try and correct the defect. He told us that the puppy would die mainly because it could not suckle ...
... worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood that He shed for us. Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said," Teach the children that God so loved the world that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life" (John 3: 16) Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy Babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men. Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring strayed sheep back to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper. He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded the ...
... open His Word and find the precise word you need to hear from His holy lips. The answer may be in a song or verse or a" word in season" from a friend that finds its way into your heart-and you KNOW the Carpenter has been at work! His shop never closes -there's no charge for His services -and He does incredible work! Now believe it! Let the Christmas carpenter, skillful Workman in your life, have full control. Give Him all the broken pieces -He wants to fix whatever's wrong, to assemble all the parts, put them back in working order, and place YOU on display before the world as a heavenly-crafted person, repaired and renewed by heaven's Workman, the Christmas carpenter from Nazareth who is YOUR Savior and Lord. Scripture:" For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2: 10 ...
204. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- What Happened? [Stories]
... is to them or us. Whatever happened to calling off a game because it is too cold or too wet? When did we start playing sports on Mother's Day? I always remember being home with my mother and our family on mom's special day. We would all be huddled around my mother, making sure that she enjoyed her" well deserved" day of rest. When did we start having our children play sports on Thanksgiving? This warm, wonderful day of giving and thanks used to be a special day to share with family and friends. We would spend the entire day eating, relaxing and enjoying the ones we loved. We would never have wasted a precious minute worrying about dragging our kids away from their warm houses to play a game (in the cold) three towns away. It seems that we are now so preoccupied with driving our kids from one place to another, that we have lost sight of what is really important ...
... he plopped, I plopped, and was totally flipped up and out of that beautiful bed, just missing going out that fine-looking window to boot. All I heard was Bonnie, where did you go ? I was sitting on my bottom on the floor still holding the book in my hand. Where did he I think I went ? crossed my mind. I heard my husband laughing so hard that he couldn t even walk to where I was or give me a much needed hand. After checking for broken or damaged bones I stood up. Looked at the bed and my husband and realized this wasn t what I had in mind when we decided to buy a new bed. At that moment, I missed my old bed where I felt safe and secure. I looked at the new bed with new eyes. This bed tried to kill me and I wasn t going to forget it. I will keep ...
206. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Entertaining Angels. [Stories]
... ," and I was wondering if we could share with you and your men" She smiled at each of the men, searching their dark eyes with her own eyes of" robin's egg blue" Everyone started to their feet." Oh no !" she said." Stay where you are! I'll just serve you !" Calling me to her side, she went from guard to guard, then from prisoner to prisoner-filling each tin cup with lemonade, and giving each man a sandwich. It was very quiet, except for a" thank you, ma'am ," and the clanking of the chains. Very soon we were at the end of the line, my mother's eyes softly scanning each face. The last prisoner was a big man, his dark skin pouring with sweat, and streaked with dust. Suddenly, his face broke into a wonderful smile, as he looked up into my mother's eyes, and he said," Ma'am ...
207. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Easy as 1, 2, 3. [Stories]
... was doing all of the talking." What's going on? You never let me talk this long"" Bob, I've got something to tell you" I waited. He hesitated a bit longer and finally said," I've been ill. They say I'm dying" There was a deep silence that felt like my heart stopped and I suddenly went deaf. There was a void in the conversation that no proper words could fill. Then he said," They give me three months" How odd that my first reaction was," It can't be. Three is my favorite number" How perfectly selfish and stupid. Why would I think that at this time? He's dying and I'm upset because they chose to tell him he had three months. Why not four? Five or six are good numbers, too. I realized afterwards that three was perfection to me. Everything about that number meant happy things in my life. Nobody should ...
208. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Fallen Angel [Stories]
... decided to ask Jesus into his heart, BOY, what a struggle I had and I hate being in church. Well, this man pondered all 'nite about Jesus, but the next day while at work when Jack was near him I got another man to get into an argument with him, and man did Jack lose it, well needless to say I got his friend back, another close call"" I did lose one though, this lady just would not give up on her boy, I had him into drugs and drinking and living it up, but she just wouldn't get off her knees for him and one of God's angels got another kid to talk to him and he got saved"" Get this, that other kid loved that boy so much he even was crying with him. How do you fight someone like that? Maybe I can make his life miserable and get him back. Well, I got years to work ...
209. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Fast Pitch In Heaven. [Stories]
... older. I told her she was making a good start playing, even if they didn't always win! As spring turned into summer and we traveled throughout the state playing against teams in our division, I noticed Tracy's Mom was quite watchful of her actions, always concerned if there was a chill in the air as we sat in the area where Moms sit during these games, mostly on hard bleachers! While Dads seemed to stand near the coach's corner, ready to give him advice if need be, a friendship began between Karen and I. Tracy was so sweet and a loving child toward her family. I commented on this to Karen, and then she told me Tracy had leukemia and was in remission. She wanted more than anything to play softball with the league that year, and so the doctor gave her permission. Karen was afraid it was too much, but she had to believe that Tracy would beat this catastrophic disease, and ...
210. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Father's Promise [Stories]
... hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his sons ' voice crying for help. Immediately, he screamed," ARMAND !" Back came the words," Dad !? I told them! I told the other kids that if you were still alive, you'd save me! You promised me, you said you'd always be there for me! You did it, dad! A determined father, a promise kept, and a stone rolled away to reveal life and give freedom. The story of Armand's dad reminds us of the events of that first Easter when our Heavenly Father kept a greater promise by rolling away a much more significant stone. With the rolling away of that stone, came eternal life, and true lasting freedom in Christ! And you know what? Our Heavenly Father is still in the business of rolling away stones. What are the stones in your life? It doesn't matter how big or small they may be, our ...
... Eagle Story-Freedom and Jeff Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She's my baby. When Freedom came in she could not stand. Both wings were broken, her left wing in 4 places. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for ...
... one. Do not write a letter while in anger. You will surely say too much, which you will regret. Written words stand as living witnesses against you and cannot be recalled. Do not commit a secret to paper. You can never tell what use may be made of it, or into whose hands it may fall. Don't erase misspelled words in letters of importance; recopy the entire letter Don't use a postscript except in very friendly letters Don't underline words Give every subject a separate paragraph Don't refold the letter. Be sure to fold it correctly the first time. Don't fill up margins with forgotten ideas and messages but instead add an extra sheet to the letter Read the letter over carefully before sending, correcting any error or doubtful statement. Many people I have written to would quickly tell you that I have broken the very first rule! In addition, my girlfriends and I used to write to each other, trying to see who ...
213. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Create Spring. [Stories]
... be found lying on their backs dreaming about their memories in the snow"" So the only way I'll find what I'm looking for is to stop looking ?" I asked." Not exactly ," he replied." You need to rid yourself of the cold, bitter outlook you have and warm up to the fact that you have what you are searching for already ," he said." I want Spring. It is my favorite time in my life. The flowers give me hope ," I said. Then moving closer, he looked into my eyes and said," Create Spring in your soul so that you will always have the spirit of the flower, even in the dead of Winter" Create Spring my friend. life is cold enough." I believe in You !"~Bob Perks~" Reflect upon your present blessings-of which every man has many-not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some" ...
214. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Cowboys and Indians. [Stories]
... ! Bang !" From just about a foot I finally fell to the ground and announced," The Duke is dead !" Just like the make-believe bullets of childhood games, Satan's fiery darts cannot make you fall. His blistering trajectories usually whiz toward us in the form of stinging words -words like" I want a divorce" or" You have cancer ," maybe even" You're fired !" All of which can be painful, and sometimes even enough to make you want to give up, but none have the power to make you fall. In Romans 8: 38-39 the apostle Paul wrote:" For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" No matter what Satan throws at ...
215. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Creating Fathers [Stories]
... Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests ?" And God smiled and said," They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross or scare off mice at the summer cabin or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill" God worked on, giving the father few words but a firm, authoritive voice and eyes that saw everything but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said," Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother ?" The angel shutteth up. This originally appeared in a newspaper column by Erma Bombeck. She was a well-known humorist and author. She died April 22, 1996 in San Francisco ...
216. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Crooked Little Smile. [Stories]
... " There Was a Crooked Man" There was a crooked man Who walked a crooked mile He found a crooked sixpence Against a crooked stile He had a crooked cat Who caught a crooked mouse And they all lived together In a little crooked house (I add these lines to that famous rhyme) But then this crooked man wore a crooked smile that made me aware he was happy all the while This crooked little man stood taller then the rest He took what life had given him and in return gave his best.~Bob Perks~2believe @comcast.net [by: Bob Perks Copyright 2006 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
217. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Cruiser Bruiser. [Stories]
... I had visions of hooking up that chain and me driving off in just part of a PT Cruiser. However, the moment of truth had come and Mike hooked up the chain. I began pulling and nothing happened. Try again, and when I honk go hard !! Mike instructed. That time the pick-up truck came out of the ruts and the Cruiser was even fully intact. It was the PT Cruiser version of The Little Engine that Could, which now gives new meaning to the term Cruiser Bruiser!~Pamela Perry Blaine~August 2008 pamyblaine @blaines.us About Pamela: She enjoys writing, music, and country living. She writes" Pam's Corner" for the local newspaper and many of her writings have been published on the internet as well as in several books. Pam says," I have loved music and writing ever since I can remember. I play piano at church and I'm an avid reader. One of my goals ...
218. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- First Light. [Stories]
... six or seven. The way he ran, played and spoke to you it would be difficult to tell he was blind from a distance. His eyes looked normal except for the slight cloud or film that seemed to be in their depths. In the early fifties there was some kind of new eye surgeries that had came available or were experimental, I can't remember now. Anyway the parents looked in to them and discovered there was one that the doctors thought may give him a chance at some level of eyesight. They knew not what it would be, but they were pretty sure it would be better than complete blindness, which he suffered at the time. Investigating further they discovered the cost, a staggering sum would be an understatement. Insurance at the time wouldn't cover it for some reason I don't remember. The people at church, the whole neighborhood, well, the whole community found out about it after awhile and some started little ...
219. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Old Fisherman [Stories]
... oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five kids, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that he had no pain from his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, I put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a big favor, he said," Could I please come stay here the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you ...
220. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- He Can Heal the Hurt. [Stories]
... . He began rebuilding his life without me. I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life. Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left. The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God s mercy. No wonder, then, the wise man begs, Above all else, guard your heart David s prayer should be ours: Create in me a pure heart, O God [by: Max Lucado-from Malladi, via 'Nancy Cantafio ' (ncantafio @sault.com)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
221. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Happy Endings. [Stories]
... Happy Endings You could hear a pin drop. Then, some sniffles in the mob of thousands. Eventually, after what appeared like an eternity, the crowd roared with applause as the ambulance took him away. His name is Kevin Everett and he was playing for the Buffalo Bills football team. He was hurt-hurt very badly trying to make a tackle on a kickoff. The blow injured his spinal column causing a paralysis. He could not give the" thumbs up" to the crowd, no matter how hard he tried. Meanwhile, back home in a small town near Houston, Kevin's mother was watching the game in a sport's bar. Very few things in life are worse than watching your" baby" on television not being able to move. His fiancee was also near Houston washing her car. Soon she would find out the horrible news. Soon, everyone would find out the horrible news as the doctor reported in a ...
222. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- He Heard. [Stories]
... the one who will make him to see and not feel him to see. Now it is time for him to talk to the one who is everything. With great courage in his mind he said," Master, let me see" He heard for the last time in his life with blindness," You may go; your faith has healed you". His eyes were opened for the first time. As he was coming out from his mother's womb and giving out his first breath in the earth, he now opens his first sight and sees the King of Kings. He now saw; saw the beauty standing in front of him with a smile that will not go away from his sight. He heard the crowd again," Praise be to the King" from within he, shouted," Praise be to Jesus, Son of Man for now I know for sure he is God" The night came by, he heard ...
223. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- How Rich Are We? [Stories]
... got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You may have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc; but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing! Addendum-1 Timothy 6: 17 (GNB)" Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment" [Author Unknown-from Dee] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... "" You'd do that for us ?" I couldn't believe it. Bob was shaking his head as he walked off to the men's room. I heard my cell phone ring." Hello ?"" Don't say it's me ," Bob said from his own cell phone." Just thank the guy and walk out. I'll meet you at the truck" He hung up." Thank you, Jim. Bob wants to meet at our truck"" Great. I'll give you a free evaluation of the tires you're currently driving on"" Oh man, you have got to be kidding me! You are amazing !" Jim and I saw Bob sitting in the driver's seat. When Bob saw us, it appeared that he was smashing his head on the steering wheel. Jim took out a small metal gauge and measured the tread on our tires. Bob got out of the truck." My good friends ," Jim said." Your truck ...
... past others in pursuit. They do anything they believe will make them happy without taking the time to understand the consequences. They gamble, they lie, they dive right into an opportunity without thinking, simply because they see it as a" chance of a lifetime ," when in fact, God provides a lifetime of chances. They step on and over others to get to the head of the line. They profit little but spend more than they have in order to give the appearance of success and the illusion of being happy. This happiness is short lived and the door they exit leads most times to pain, depression and much longer periods of regret. Sometimes it simply leads nowhere. The door to true happiness opens easy for those who believe that happiness is a choice. Everything need not be perfect in their life in order to be happy. They don't need to have fancy clothes to feel properly dressed for any occasion. They don't need ...
226. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Grace and Style. [Stories]
... an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day, I know it will. Until that time, I'll just send off a story; call it a reciprocal salute, to the old American pilot who wove a memory for a young Canadian that's stayed a lifetime.~Lea MacDonald~Lea lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and he says," I've been doing a lot over the past few years, including working to give something back to the community that has treated me and my family so well. I was promoted to Captain with the fire department, and worked to help promote a wonderful band in this area called Bauder Road. Currently, I am working on a new innovation for the flooring industry, opening a retail flooring store, and working hard to start a record label" You can email Lea at the email address below. [by: Lea MacDonald (leamacdonald @wapda.com ), Copyright ...
... life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are-and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life-can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. [From Big Al, via 'The Inspired Buffalo ' (the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe @yahoogroups.com)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... few bikes away and told children if it broke down or they had a flat to call me ," said Riddick, who retired from farming in 1995." I didn't dream anything like this would happen" What happened is a Christmas tale to touch the hardest of Scrooges. After buying 40 new bicycles and placing a classified ad seeking used ones, word quickly circulated. Donations of bikes started pouring in to his farm three miles north of town. To date he has given away nearly 200 and has 100 more in his workshop. Each carries a license plate reading," Jesus Loves You" But he didn't stop with free bikes. Riddick gave the children his heart. Although he had built a 1.5-acre playground on his farm for his grandchildren, three of the five now live out of state. After getting acquainted with youngsters in the community, he invited them out to the homemade attraction. It includes a cable ride the length of a football ...
229. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Free Hugs. [Stories]
... a hug. It meant something to her" Others joined Mann. They opened their arms to others. His message spread across the city. Afraid of lawsuits, officials banned the free hug movement. But the people protested and more than 10, 000 people signed a petition to allow him to continue his mission. Shimon Moore, the lead singer of The Sick Puppies happened to see Juan. They hugged and became friends. Moore borrowed a video camera and filmed Juan giving hugs. When Mann's grandmother died, Moore put the video together with his band's song called, All The Same, and posted the video on YouTube with the following caption:" Sometimes, a hug is all we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole purpose mission was to reach out and hug a stranger, to brighten up their lives" The video was a hit. It spread around the world. Juan has ...
230. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- From Time To Time. [Stories]
... . My mom was going to love this. Christmas morning came, and my mother, the most kind-hearted person in the world, loved the tissues. Aren't moms just the best? That satisfied feeling I had in the drug store returned again when I saw her happiness. The joy we felt couldn't have been any greater, even if it had been a necklace of gold. Sadly, I believe it was her only gift. That year, I learned how to give a gift to someone special by selecting it with painstaking consideration and thoughtfulness, and wrapping it with ribbons of love. Today, as I looked at that tissue on top of the folded towels, I remembered what I had learned. I realized just how far I've come in life and how blessed I am. From a time when a simple tissue was a luxury, to a time when one can be left unused and discarded, we should never go so far that we ...
... and hold her hand Maddie? All the other kids were either laughing at her or they were scared of her. You just went right up to her like that !" Maddie looked at me and said," Julie, Jesus wouldn't treat that woman like that. Everyone laughed and treated Jesus that way and look at what He did! He died for us on the cross. Every time I see someone like that being made fun of I always go to them and give them a hug and tell them that Jesus loves them. It always makes them feel better !" Here I stood-a 20 year old college student-supposed to be so smart! And here was this 4 1 / 2 year old little girl who knew so much more than I did. That's what it was about her !! It was Jesus. Jesus Christ who came to this cold and dirty world, got stepped on, laughed at, spit on and still- ...
232. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Circus [Stories]
... father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with. Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide. Addendum-Acts 20: 35 (NKJ)" .remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive" [Original source and author unknown-Ed: Anon.] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... do her laundry," then she finished with," Now, don't you rob me of this blessing !" At the time I didn't know how to respond. Not wanting to hurt Betty's feelings, I let her know I would think about her offer. Even though I had poured out my heart about how difficult it was to keep up and how I missed my devotional time with Him, I was unprepared for God to actually do something about it. He had given me the task of caring for these little ones and I was a little put out that He'd taken me seriously when I said I was having trouble keeping up. So I thought," If I just get a little more organized, I can take care of this myself" As I walked in and surveyed the laundry room a couple of weeks later, I sagged against the washer. The mountain of laundry hadn't diminished a bit with my efforts to take care of things ...
234. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Morsel Of Hope. [Stories]
... months were the longest of his life. When they boarded up his little seven-by-seven foot cell, shutting out the light, he wondered if he was going to make it. He had already been under intense physical and mental duress after years of confinement. And now, not a glimmer of light shone into his cell-or into his soul. Robbie spent hours a day exercising and praying. But at times he felt he could nothing but scream. Not wanting to give his captors the satisfaction of knowing they'd broken him, he stuffed clothing into his mouth to muffle the noise as he screamed at the top of his lungs. One day Robbie got down on the floor and crawled under his bunk. He located a vent that let in outside air. As he pressed against the vent, he saw a faint glimmer of light reflected on the inside wall of the opening. Robbie put his eye next to the cement wall and discovered a minute ...
... sun. Just like the perennials, I too had come through the long hard winter. Thirteen years later on our 50th wedding anniversary, the doctor confirmed that I did indeed have a battle ahead of me this time the treatment would be chemotherapy. I had once again come through a long, hard winter, battling cancer again. This time the battle was Lymphoma and once again I had reached for the warmth and strained for the light. Light that only God could give. As He gently guided and I often resisted, His love continued. Everywhere I look this morning I see what is truly a gift from God. I will never again take life for granted. God is in His Heaven and that can make all right with the world. Yes, each day brings its own priceless miracle-the renewal of life and a promise of tomorrow.~Dorothy Casper~Copyright 2007 blueprint4living @netzero.com Many years ago my favorite teacher stressed the ...
236. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Radiant Glow. [Stories]
... . He was 55 years old, but I was only 28. In a matter of two years, we had both lost our sight completely. I focused on the effects of my own darkness. My world crumbled as the black curtain fell, destroying the dreams my husband and I had for us and for our three little boys. But when I turned to God for hope and strength, He responded by opening my eyes to a new revelation. My father had given me not just the RP gene, but the example of determination and tenacity as well. We were all living in Bolivia in 1964 when he defied the family's opposition to move to America. He and mom worked tirelessly to satisfy the requirements imposed by the U.S. Immigration Department to enter the country and establish residency. Once in the states, he overcame humiliation, intense loneliness, helplessness and uncertainty. He endured ridicule due to his lack of fluency in English, but he ...
... clean it off ," she said." This was folded and tucked under a coffee cup" She handed the napkin to me, and three $20 bills fell on my desk when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed" Something for Stevie"." Pony Pete asked me what that was about ," she said," so I told him about Stevie and his mom and everything, and Pete and they ended up giving me this" She handed me another paper napkin that had" Something for Stevie" scrawled on its outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds. Frannie looked at me with wet shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply," truckers"-'ya got to love 'em. That was three months ago. Today is Thanksgiving, the first day Stevie is supposed to be back to work. His placement worker said he's been counting the days until the ...
... had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out," If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too !" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking up at me, she asked:" Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her ?" That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child-five months before-in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it" that ...
239. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Light Bulb Moment. [Stories]
... may see on Oprah when audience members are turned on by a particular idea or new way of thinking. Sometimes it takes a series of tiny sparks to shed some light on an issue not previously deemed relevant. And then there are the ' hit you over the head ' zingers that blind you like a flood light. Take for instance the realities of growing old. Sooner or later it hits you-you're not the spring chicken you thought you were. I haven't given much thought to growing old-not really. Oh, I'm well aware I'm no longer 18, even though I like to think my mind still functions like it did before gravity got the best of me. For the most part I've done my best to ignore the signs of advancing age; the middle age spread that just keeps spreading. The fact that I'll now wear my sweats and slippers outside, something I would never have dreamt of doing in my prissy prime. ...
240. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Artist's Task. [Stories]
... Artist's Task On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an unforgettable sight. He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play. By now, the ...
241. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Bag of Kindness. [Stories]
... good people like Rosalyne out and surrounded myself with the kinds of people who I thought I was. I eventually did see that and I have changed my life. My own daughter is eight now and I have had the opportunity to send her to school with her own little bag of macaroni. I wrapped it up with a heavy heart that morning thinking of those turbulent days past. I thought of Rosalyn and the little gift she tried to share with me and I give a silent prayer of thanks for all the people like her that make this world a better place to live in. [by: John Gaudet, Copyright 2003 (drmrjohn62 @yahoo.com)-from '2TheHeart '] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... game went as expected, and near the end of the fourth quarter Kevin's team stood nearly 30 points behind. It was then that one of the boys called timeout." Coach ," he said," this is our last game and Kevin's never made a basket. I think we should let him make a basket" The team agreed. Kevin was instructed to stand at his special place near the free throw line and wait. He was told that when he was given the ball, he should shoot. Kevin was ecstatic. He ran to the floor and waited. When the ball was passed to him he shot-and missed. Number 17 from the other team snatched the rebound, dribbled down the court for an easy lay-up. But a moment later Kevin got the ball again. He shot-and missed. Number 17 repeated his performance for another two points. Kevin shot a third and fourth time with the same result. But ...
... goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing, and another goose takes the lead. Galatians 6: 6 says, Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches Doesn t that sound like what the geese do? We who are Christian leaders should not try to do all the work; and we who are just part of the Christian community should not just sit back, absorbing all the teaching and never giving back. We are admonished to share the responsibility. Be like the geese. Know when we are tired and drop back into the formation, letting someone else take his or her turn. If we do not share the work we will not get to our destination. If the lead goose were not willing to share the lead he soon would become so exhausted that he would be of no use to the rest. But by their sharing, no one goose becomes useless from ...
... her mind was reliving memories that were special to her." Well, we have invited a new family from the church to come to our house for dinner, but I know they'd enjoy sharing the day with you too, and we certainly would, but are you sure you're up to this crowd ?" I was thoughtful of her doing too much." Of course I am. I've entertained all my life, and will enjoy doing this too. And it will give me something happy to think about. Actually, I'll be" thankful" to you for joining me on Thanksgiving" I knew what she was saying and after talking a few minutes more I said" goodnight ", and told her I'd be in touch. When I arrived home and told the children about going to Mrs. Mitchell's for Thanksgiving dinner, they were all happy. Our oldest son said she had a great hill for sledding, and our daughter loved her big old ...
245. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Tug. [Stories]
... A Tug In some circles it is not" politically correct" to be considered a" bloody" Christian who believes in eternal salvation, but I am guilty of believing that once saved, always saved. I have been cleansed by and washed in the blood of Jesus. Knowing this, gives me a peace of God and peace with God to pillow my head every night knowing that whether I go or whether I stay, I'm a winner either way. Because I don't deserve His salvation and did not do anything to earn it, sometimes, though, I wake up not feeling saved and wondering why God it would please God to bruise His Son for me. When I do, I am reminded of a young boy, an older man, and an out-of-sight kite. The story goes of a young boy flying a kite in the park one windy afternoon. The kite was so small and so high that an elderly man sitting on ...
... years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from" thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific" problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us" As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra," I highly recommend the Special !"" I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said." It's all too .fresh"" Well ," the clerk replied carefully," my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was ...
247. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Believe Me? [Stories]
... world of dreams. You can't pay for stuff like that. You see, sometimes when it's really difficult and damn near impossible, the only thing that will keep you going is believing in things you can't out right prove. Like when I tell you how very important you are. How you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. That God has incredible plans for you. Believe me? I still thank God for permitting me to meet Michael. And for giving me YOU!~Bob Perks~2believe @comcast.net [by: Bob Perks Copyright 2008 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... back from the pit of desperation and bonded with that whale. I appreciated the obstacles that mother whale had to overcome on her long journey to the place she would have her baby. That magical encounter paved the way for me to put life back into perspective and I came home a much wiser person. That huge beautiful creature made me understand, that despite the obstacles life puts in your way, there is always an opportunity for a new beginning. You must never give up.~Lynn Perrier~< petpntr at yahoo.com >Lynn is a Canadian writer whose life has lead her down many paths opening her mind and heart to the important things in life. With an often humorous slant, her writing will leave you with food for thought and a smile on your face especially the articles about her cats. For those of you who have lost a pet Lynn extends a welcome to visit her newly launched memorial site and explore having your own free ...
249. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Bridge Keeper [Stories]
... tell his wife how their son had brutally died-that others may live. If you can imagine the emotions which went this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Is it any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How do you think God feels as we speed along thru life, without giving a thought to what He did for us by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins-so WE could have eternal life? Addendum-John 3: 16 (NIV)" For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" [Unknown source-Ed: Anon.] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
250. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- C O D. [Stories]
... above the bathroom scales and it taunts me every time I look at it because I haven t written down those pounds that I m supposed to be losing. I have flower calendars, scenic calendars, patriotic calendars, religious calendars, and a computer generated calendar with family pictures on it. I want you to know that it s not all my fault that I suffer from COD. First of all, it is the time of year when many people give calendars away, thus encouraging my obsession. I try to limit the number of calendars I have but there are those who encourage and enable my condition. Just the other day I was at the bank and the teller held out a calendar and said, Have you gotten one of our calendars yet ? How could I refuse, she was so nice and the calendar did have pretty pictures. I stopped by another store that offered me a pocket calendar that fit perfectly in ...
... do when we won a game while I was sitting on the bench. But I was completely unprepared for what to do when we won a game and I had hit a last-second shot-meaningless though it may have been. Instinctively, I looked for Dad. And he was there, where he always was, smiling at me as he always did. And somehow that helped-just knowing he was there-and I came back to my senses in time to give a sweatier-than-usual hug to Heidi. For the next 35 years that was always the case-not the" sweaty hug" part, but the" Dad was there" part. Through good times and bad, Dad was always there to smile, to encourage, to support and to love. I came to depend on that, even toward the end of his life when smiling was about all that he could do. It helped to know that, no matter what, ...
252. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Beggar's Rags [Stories]
... Beggar'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 ...
253. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A Walk In The Forest. [Stories]
... stay put, and despite my husband's protests, I scrambled through the bush to investigate. The remainder of the story I will tell in a story poem. She went for a walk in the forest. The weather was crisp, but not cold. She had with her all of her children. While they walked, a story she told. She taught them of Flora and fauna, explaining the plants growing there. She said," See these gifts God has given? All nature He's put in our care" The snow was as soft as a carpet. The children made angels, and sang. The air was filled up with their voices; with laughter the whole forest rang. Then all of a sudden she heard it -a sound like the crack of a gun. She motioned the children to silence. They ceased all their laughter and fun. Twas then that they heard something shrieking, the sound sending chills down their spines ...
... we have a small pond with ten gold fish and at least one frog. At the far end of the property now sits our" H.O.P.E. House" our converted shed, where we can let go of life and express our love of it through art and music. Sounds pretty snooty doesn't it? Okay, we have paint and colored pencils along with XM radio, a hand drum and a ukulele. Balance. It is the area of the pond that has given me much stress. Our frog disappeared. This has happened before. One day we had a frog, another day we had four. Then none. This year we only had one and it took off. My real fear was that a local cat ate it. That fear was supported by the fact that it was gone for months and so I feared it was consumed. My routine everyday is to feed the birds, the fish and talk to the frog. No ...
255. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Batting My Eyelashes. [Stories]
... simply amazing! So, batting my long eyelashes to keep out the sand of discouragement, I challenge you-Step back and peek at what bars limit you. Take a deep breath, break them down, and emerge into the freshness of a new life!~Janet Perez Eckles~jeckles at cfl.rr.com www.janetperezeckles.com Life is not about what you cannot do because of circumstances out of your control. Success comes when you recognize what you can do with what God has given you Live in a hectic, hurried world? For my God-honoring, free inspirational newsletter just send a blank email to: splash_of_inspiration @getresponse.com [by Janet Perez Eckles Copyright 2008, (jeckles at cfl.rr.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... plan to go to church to bless. Let's strategize what needs to be said to people who especially need our encouragement. Second, we should analyze the need of those with whom we are speaking, then target our words to bless them and to build them up based upon their needs (Ephesians 4: 29" Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear ") So often we slip into speech that draws attention to ourselves, our needs, our significance and we forget our charge to be redemptive in every area of our life, including our speech. Let's listen first, so we can bless when we speak rather than trying to be the center of attention. Third, we can read and focus on the blessings in Scripture: as we read, memorize, and share them, they begin to shape ...
257. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- If You Are Real. [Stories]
... drinking with my best friend. My attempts to be tough must have appeared hilarious to others. I was skinny to a fault and looked younger than my age. Being tough didn't come natural. My heart was gentle and I hated conflict and fighting, yet every single time I let my guard down someone hurt me. Angry words all sharp and pointy, a knife in my soul. That's when the hardness crept in. Never let them see you cry. Never give them a chance to know you care. One day it all came to a head. My mom pulled us around her in her bedroom. She put a gun to her head and threatened to shoot herself. I was scared, but not because I thought she would die, but because under my breath I whispered," just do it". Who was this person I was becoming? Two years later I stood in the little church. The pastor sang, strumming ...
258. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Information Please. [Stories]
... lived an amazing person-her name was Information Please, and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anybody's number and the correct time. My first personal experience with this genie-in-the-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway-The telephone! Quickly I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. Information Please I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear." Information"" I hurt my finger.." ...
... The first wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it NOW rather than to wait until we're on our death bed to lament. <>< For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16: 26 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5: 23 [Author unknown-submitted by OurCherokeeRose, via Charlotte (GAgirl @flash.net)] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... visited with friends and family before when they were there. But, this was different. This time and this place would be our home for months. I can remember very clearly standing in the window of the waiting room that day. Almost oblivious to my surroundings I was suddenly shaken when I happened to glance across the street." I can't believe it !" I whispered. I had been there so many times through the years. Standing there I would never have given any thought at all to the view. I wondered now if someone would have been looking at me from the hospital window." Two different worlds ," I said. You see, this was Hershey, Pennsylvania. My son was in the Hershey Medical Center directly across the street from Hershey Amusement Park. From where I was standing I could see the famous Hershey Kiss Tower, a ride that takes you to the top to see a spectacular view. Which, even back ...
261. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Just Keep Planting [Stories]
... 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 ...
... step upon her hand. It would appear to anyone that this delicate creature was lifeless leaving behind remains of what once was. But not her. She sensed something. She knew right away that there was indeed some life left in this most fragile example of God's work. The butterfly nearly tumbled onto her hand, wings folded straight up, apparently unable to fly. Then, perhaps it was the warmth of her hands or the welcoming response to the attention it was given, but the butterfly began to walk slowly up to her palm." Poor little butterfly ," she repeated again as she brought it closer to her face." If I could kiss you I would," she said. The butterfly, appearing to respond, slowly opened its wings, to reveal its beautiful designand colors. Now open fully, the child brought it closer and gave an angel's kiss of love. Just off in the distance watching this precious moment, her ...
263. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Porch Sittin [Stories]
... a lot of living took place on porches in times past. At least it was that way where I grew up. Seeing a person sitting on their front porch was pretty much the same as an invitation for neighbors to stop by and pass the time of day. Many people did part of their garden work on their porches. It didn t matter if it was snapping beans, hulling peas, or peeling apples someone was apt to sit down beside you and give you a hand with the chore. I remember a lot of visiting, discussions, and even problems solved while snapping green beans. Women learned from one another and often offered help for whatever need that was mentioned. Try using a little corn starch on that baby s diaper rash , a young mother might learn from an older neighbor lady, And next time you need to work out in the garden, just bring that little one over here and I ...
264. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- On the Shore. [Stories]
... In order to do this for us, you will need to go through our hospice volunteer training ," I said." Don't want to ," she said." It's required. By law we need to train our volunteers, do a criminal record check, a TB test"" Nope. I've gone through all of that before. I don't want to wear ID badges, I don't want to represent anyone, I just want to use the talent that God has given me to bring music into the lives of those who need it" I paused trying to think of what to say." I have been a nurse, RN, for more than 20 years. Music is my life now and I do it for nothing. I don't want all the things attached every time I want to share my gift"" I love your spirit ," I said." May I keep your name and number ?"" Yes" This got me ...
... provided fresh vegetables during the summer, and some squash and turnips for the winter. A tidy flower garden brightened the front of her house. The television crew arrived and set up their big expensive cameras. Their mobile station broadcast pictures of the woman and the place she called home. Eventually the interviewer asked the old woman," If the government gave you $200 more each month, what would you do with it ?" Without hesitation the woman replied," I'd give it to the poor" [Peggie C. Bohanon-source: 'fun-n-faith ' (Author Unknown)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
266. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Never Growing Old. [Stories]
... flood gate of memories too many to choose from. If I had a choice, I think I'd rather opt for one more day to spend with my family in that house on 104th place in Roseland. To smell the Lillies of the Valley that grew wild and untouched in the front yard. To catch lightning bugs in the backyard and bike ride around the block, with my little brother teasing me and my friends because we couldn't leave the block. What I wouldn't give, as an adult, to sit on the old back porch and sip a milk shake my dad had made especially for me. To laugh with my grandma and to have a chat with my mom-if she could be as she was and I could be who I am now. (I'd have a lot of thanking to do) It's a gift to reclaim a sense of our summer's youth. While we can't relive the past, it's a blessing to know, ...
... the Mother guarding her babies. I m going to be watching for the day that the Mother bird takes her continued role, and pushes them out to learn to fly, in order to allow them to go on their own. As the sounds of Spring are in the air and this precious guest and her babes are outside our window, I started thinking about another Mother and her role in life; and how as a young woman she was told she would give birth to the King of Kings. She was obedient to God, and Christ was born of a virgin in a meager cave surrounded by animals. When he was a young man his Mother, Mary, had to allow him to do his own thing, and let go. Thinking him lost in a crowd one day she found him teaching at a temple and when she questioned what he was doing, he told her he was doing his Father s business. Although ...
268. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- A New Perspective. [Stories]
... else will stop and help him" Judging by the customers and cars that were passing him by, I guess they were thinking the same thing. I got out, and walked over to see what the trouble was." Is there anything I can do ?" I asked. It was then that I noticed he wasn't able to speak, and was still struggling with the chair." Is there someone I can call for you? I said. He still couldn't give me any indication. I looked down at the chair and noticed that the clamps holding the electronic keyboard and chair controls had apparently loosened causing the equipment to slip down, out of his reach." Is this the problem ?" I said, as I pulled it back into place, hoping I wasn't doing more damage than good. I then re-tightened the clamps. His hand jerked over to the keyboard and he hit a single key. An electronic voice told me," ...
... interfered in my time with the girls. They were my top priority. On Monday morning, Katie awoke asking her Daddy," Where is Nana and Pa ?" Tuesday morning, my telephone rang. I picked it up." I can't see you Nana ," Katie announced." I want you" There's no way Katie could have possibly understood just how badly I wanted her, as well. I wanted to hold her again, see that sweet little grin, give her a great big old bear hug, and sing her favorite nursery rhymes. While we enjoyed our time together, however, we all had to accept the fact that life goes on. I had to start a new week and go back to work. Hannah had to return to kindergarten and Katie had to go back to preschool. We had to file away those fun times into our memory banks and continue on with life. When was the last time you enjoyed" ...
270. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- The Power of Prayer [Stories]
... by prayer except the gates of hell. I encourage you to forward this to as many people as you know. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world towards Christ once again. Have a great day !** THE POWER OF PRAYER-as the above true story clearly illustrates," with God all things are possible" and more importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful. After you read this, please pause and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life. and then pass it on. [Original source unknown-from Denial] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... Tacitus, Pliny contain references to Jesus. Jewish historian Josephus writes about Jesus ' crucifixion and resurrection. They knew something had happened. Jesus ' resurrection from the dead is actually more plausible than any other explanation. That's why we Christians make such a big deal about Easter. That's why we celebrate. Jesus ' resurrection means that death is not the end. That though my body may lie mouldering in the ground, Jesus, whom the Father raised from the dead, gives me eternal life. Ultimately, we Christians believe, our bodies, too, will be raised from the dead. And since Jesus is not dead, people can encounter Him today. You can know Him through a personal relationship. I could point to lots of people who can testify what Jesus has done in their lives to bring them from the brink of disaster to peace and meaning and joy. He changes people for good. If you're not sure, and can't really ...
272. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Sometimes. [Stories]
... exactly what you said," Sometimes you win"" How's that a philosophy ?"" My parents, my father in particular, always used that word when I asked about things growing up ," he said. Pausing for a moment as though he was remembering some particular conversations, he continued." It is how I was raised. Now that I look back I see how limiting that was and wonder how much more I could have accomplished ," he said." Give me an example ," I asked." We were poor. If I asked him if poor people ever get rich, he'd say sometimes. If I asked if I was smart enough, he'd say sometimes. If I asked if he loved me, he'd say sometimes" The sunlight that warmed the day suddenly sparkled in the corner of his eye. That last thought brought a tear." So, hearing your friend say," Sometimes you win ," made you think ...
... Sure"" You can't see it, but you believe it's there"" Ah, but I can feel it"" You can feel faith, too"" How ?"" Faith was there when I found out both my wife and son had cancer. I felt it in my heart. I touched it when I touched their faces in the last moments before they went into surgery. I couldn't see it. I could feel it soak deep into my being giving me peace. A peace only a man of faith can have"" But that was faith in the doctor. You saw the doctor, you heard him speak. That's not faith that's fact"" But I had faith in his abilities. My faith told me to trust the man God inspired to be a doctor and all the nurses who found their place in life helping others"" That's not the same"" But there's something about the wind ," I repeated ...
274. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Spare Change. [Stories]
... " Hey, Lady !" I turned to see one of the boys peering from around the corner of the building." That was pretty cool !" He was gone. I suppose it was a" thank you" of sorts and I was content to think that I would be the topic of their small conversation that morning. I was the" cool lady" who saved the day by paying for their candy in an otherwise hectic and uncaring world. I imagined them giving each other high-fives in my memory. It made me smile to think that my small gesture had brightened their little world, if only for a moment. By the time that I arrived at my own store, I was basking in my good deed and wanted to share my story with my customers. When I finished telling the story to a small group of girls, one of my customers turned towards me and said," I like to do little things like that, ...
... What could be more powerful than I, the rock ?" he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter. Ecclesiastes 5: 19 NLT" And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life-that is indeed a gift from God"" People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy" [Author Unknown-from amelia.s.ladaga @ph.pwcglobal.com] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
... , as Ernest Hemingway put it," Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the broken places" The next time you're in Beulah, Michigan, look for that beautiful elm. It spans 60 feet across its lush, green crown. The trunk is about 12 feet in circumference. Look for the wound made by the chain. It serves as a reminder that because of our wounds, we can have hope! Our wounds can give us resources we need to cope and survive. They can truly make us strong.~Steve Goodier~[ by: Steve Goodier Copyright 2007 (LifeSupport @yahoogroups.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
277. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Silver what? [Stories]
... just isn't my best quality. (Not even close !) But, I spend a small part of each day working on it. I was so busy with my girls and my life that I didn't realize how little of myself I gave to him. I concentrated on the fact that we were polar opposites and he would never be able to fill that part of me that needed filled. I didn't realize I wasn't playing fair either because I hadn't reached into myself to give him the part of me that needed nurturing. The poor man was walking in the dark. He didn't have a clue. I think we both wondered if love was enough. We were at a family reunion and someone asked where he was. I gleefully told them he was working overtime! Someone said," Poor Leonard" It's become a family joke to say" Poor Leonard" because it grates on my last nerve! My own mother looked at me and said ...
278. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- SHEP. [Stories]
... turns riding when we would go to Oak Park. Each of us would get to be pulled five or so house lengths then another would get in for their turn. Seemed like this went on for the longest till one day we brats found out that the neighbors that owned him were moving and we inquired if they had kids where they were moving to for Shep to play with. They said that they wouldn't be able to take him with them and were going to give him to the pound. Talk about a bunch of unhappy kids, but when we found out that they kill dogs that are there for a few days and aren't adopted, a bowl of Prozac for breakfast wouldn't have made our spirits any better. A new family was moving in down the street. I had seen them for a few days now, going back and forth in and out of the house carrying stuff from a little trailer behind their car. They had a ...
279. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Ring The Bell. [Stories]
... Who ever heard of an adult going to bed at 8: 30? What about TV? I quickly learned there were no televisions in any of the rooms, except for one in the main house. Walking back to our bunk (for bed, yes, at 8: 30) my mother-in-law told those of us in her family," I don't know about this place. Maybe my family is not meant for slow country life on a ranch. But please give it a try. Besides, dinner was pretty good, wasn't it ?" That night many of the family had problems sleeping. Maybe, it was too much fresh air. However, all were asleep in the early morning when once again those bells started clanging. Waking and stretching, I thought," How many times will those bells-those annoying bells-ring throughout the day, and week ?" I learned that the huge bell, as well as the others they ...
... stand in the way of love, and they laugh-because they know that love can't be beaten! Valentine Traditions Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was: Good morning to you, valentine; Curl your locks as I do mine-Two before and three behind. Good morning to you, valentine. In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant," You unlock my heart !" In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. In some countries, a ...
281. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Sandbox Rock. [Stories]
... that I had !"" No, son ," corrected the father kindly." You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me" With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox. Do you have" rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When the apostle Paul faced times of a broken spirit and sapped strength, he proclaimed to the Corinthian church," My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you" (2 Corinthians 12: 9b NCV). When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior, Jesus. [Author Unknown-E-Mail Ministry (emailministry @emailministry.org) ...
... That thoroughly ingrained cultural belief was Jimmy Yen's first" impossible" barrier. The second barrier was the Chinese language itself, consisting of 40, 000 characters, each character signifying a different word! The third barrier was the lack of technology and good roads. How could Jimmy Yen reach the 350 million peasants in China? Impossible odds, an impossibly huge goal-and yet he had almost attained it when he was forced (by Communism) to leave his country. Did he give up? No. He learned from defeat and expanded his goal: Teach the rest of the Third World to read. Practical reading programs, like the ones he invented in China, started pumping out literate people like a gushing oil well in the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Columbia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ghana, India β people became literate. For the first time in their entire genetic history, they had access to the ...
... not sure when it all changed. I don't think there was one specific moment when I realized that I had more children than any mother could possibly ever have! And, that's the answer I gave to my friend. Smiling, I explained that as long as I work in the nursery, I will have babies to rock and sing to. As long as I am a Head Start teacher, I will have first days of school. Working with the youth will give me plenty of experience with teenagers. Carissa lost her first tooth at my house and no one was ever a better Tooth Fairy. I hosted an exchange student from Germany last year and got to shop for prom dresses. I even cried when she gave me a locket with her picture in it, engraved with one simple word on the front," Mom". I still have it and wear it, and I also have the Mother's Day card she gave me. ...
... sandy grit from between my teeth while watching dead leaves, gum wrappers and other litter blow past me. Bees buzzed around my head, ants crawled up my shorts, and Japanese beetles tickled my thighs. Meanwhile, the sun grew hotter as it rose higher in the sky. I lay there for what seemed like 18 hours, and I didn't have on my 18-hour bra! After a while, I became painfully aware that the husband was not searching for me. Giving up any hope that my knight on horseback was coming to help, I muttered to myself," If I want to get home before the winter snows come, it's up to me to get myself there" When I felt some strength returning, I used the bike for leverage and pulled my woozy body up on quivering legs. Slumping over the handlebars for support, I trudged home while mentally rehearsing what I would say to Sir Galahad when I got there. Staggering into ...
285. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- "I'll be seeing you!" [Stories]
... enjoying this one. The old man was about 5'7". He wore a well worn sport coat and cap that, in my opinion was a little too much for such a warm day. He walked slowly down the hill directly toward where I was standing. As he got closer I could see his long white hair that hung over his collar. He had a perfectly trimmed mustache not nearly as white as his hair. It was slightly yellowed near the center, giving me the impression he smoked a cigar. His white shirt was a little tattered and his tie bore the remains of a few good meals or fallen ashes. He walked up to where I was standing and never skipped a beat. Now, standing next to him, the music drew me in even more. Neither one of us said a word. In fact I don't even remember nodding my head or smiling with approval. I was captivated and suspended in time. He ...
... I really couldn't determine how many eggs would hatch, if any. After examining them several times when the boys weren't around, I had decided that only two of the six showed any sign of development, although I had my doubts about even them. I didn't voice my opinion to Don or James, however, as I wasn't sure, and because I did not want to dampen their enthusiasm. A few more days went by, and the boys were beginning to give up hope. I never saw such dejected looking faces in all my life. The next morning, however, two excited boys came rushing from their bedroom, into the kitchen," Mom! Mom! Come look. I think some chickies are starting to come out" I looked. Two tiny" pips" appeared on two of the eggs. The boys each picked up an egg. For an hour or so they held those eggs in their hands, watching as ...
... always senses when I'm near. She offers me a small tidbit, but always makes me beg for it. I feel so sad for Myra Wynde. Oh, did I mention? She is blind. I go so softly up to her. She puts her hand into my fur. She pats my head, and says to me," To know you're grand I need not see" For Mr. Smith I do some tricks. To poor old Joe I give some licks. There are so many folks to greet. To them my visit is a treat.. Ah! There she is in her wheel chair. I see her coming-Auntie Clare. I wiggle-waggle, full of glee. Her face lights up when she sees me." Where have you been? It's been so long! She then sings me a little song. Her memory is no longer keen. She won't remember that I've been. But that's okay. I ...
288. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Jeremy's Egg [Stories]
... Jeremy's Egg Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and a chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher. One day, she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Theresa's for a consultation. As the Forresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them," Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It ...
289. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Judgement (Wisdom). [Stories]
... . The people gathered again, and again they judged. They said," Again you proved right! It was a misfortune. Your only son has lost the use of his legs, and in your old age he was your only support. Now you are poorer than ever" The old man said," You are obsessed with judgement. Don't go that far. Say only that my son had broken his legs. Life comes in fragments and more is never given to you" It happened that after a few weeks the country went to war, and all the young men of the town were forcibly taken for the military. Only the old man's son was left because he was crippled. The whole town was crying and weeping, because it was a losing fight and they knew that most of the young people would never come back. They came to the old man and they said," You were right, old man-this ...
290. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- I learned to live. [Stories]
... all the doctors in the world couldn't fix. It was the one thing, the ultimate thing, that only I was in control of. It was the answer"" So what happened to this young man ?" I asked." He went on to college, graduated and owns his own company. He teaches safety in the work place to large corporations around the world. And from what I understand he tells his story to high school students as a way of giving something back"" And you my friend? How did you ever pull out of it ?" I asked." I willed it to be so. The very next day I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and had a good talk with the guy I knew was inside. We both agreed that life was too precious to waste. I made up this phrase and hung it every where I lived" He reached in his wallet and handed me a note ...
... peace" The poor man's voice trembled." Tomorrow may be too late. It must be settled tonight" The minister could not resist his appeal." By the help of God" he said," it shall be settled tonight" Again he explained the steps of conversion; again he prayed. As he spoke, the miner broke into sobs and tears, and at last the light pierced his darkness." I see it !" he cried." I give myself absolutely to God, to His will, to do only what He wants. It is settled. Praise His name, it is settled !" The two men knelt again, but this time to thank God for bringing light to a sinner's soul. The next morning the miner went to work as usual. During the day he was sent to a distant part of the mine to fetch some tools. When he did not return, his fellow workers went to look for ...
292. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- In The Right Hands. [Stories]
... a gift from a young man to his sweetheart? I showed it to my neighbor and challenged him with the idea." It's junk! Look, there's a piece broken on the top. I'd toss it out ," he concluded. Not me. It's still useful. I know every time I see it my mind will dance. I like seeing it as a gift. Not only the imagined one from a guy to his girl, but the gift I was given just because I found it. It can still hold something. I'll find a small cork and add a little colored water to it. When I hold it I will imagine the hand that tossed it aside. Junk? Just because it's slightly damaged doesn't mean it has lost it's purpose. Like me. I've been damaged, broken, chipped and after all that I still have a purpose. God picked me up out of the trash pile, dusted me off and found ...
293. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- In The Woods. [Stories]
... Not a temple, mosque or synagogue. I simply wandered off the road I planned on taking and headed down the path chosen for me this time. I walked across the bridge and looked upon the water. Pausing for a moment I suddenly felt overwhelmed and insignificant. It was all bigger than I. Not just in size. Even the pebble in the brook appeared more important. How can that be? I am a chosen child of God. I have been given great powers and a grand purpose in life. A rock. The moss on the tree and the tiniest of fish swimming below suddenly put me in my place. Off in the distance I could hear water pouring into the brook. It called me like it knew my name. A bit uneasy and feeling out of place, I walked slowly toward the sound and turning to my right I saw it. A grand cathedral. A holy place .in the woods. As if ...
294. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- "In this day...". [Stories]
... acknowledge that I am a magnificent creation capable of the greatest accomplishments. I am one of a kind. Never before in the history of human existence and never again will there be another me. I have a purpose, a mission and with that a responsibility to fulfill those goals. The key to success is in" knowing" and" believing" that I can, then purposefully taking action. The" knowing" is the small voice you hear deep within that gives direction. It sparks the dreams and softens the indignant blows that life throws at us. It is the spirit of our being connected to the Great Power. It never goes away although many spend a lifetime trying to block it out." Believing" comes once we have accepted that self esteem is not an ego trip but a verification that you are a living miracle created by God. Although we are all capable of grand accomplishments that can change the world, we all ...
295. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- It Just Knows How. [Stories]
... . Look around you. The trees do the same. The birds return on time. Even the tiniest micro organisms respond to the need to" be". So tell me how is it that you think that you cannot become all that you dream of? The difference, my friend, is choice. The rose can be nothing but a rose. But look at what that is. Smell it. Touch it. Watch what joy it brings to both the giver and the receiver. Its power or strength is in its ability to be what it was meant to be. The maple tree cannot produce bananas. But see the shelter it provides both animal and human being. But you choose to deny your fullest potential. You can be anything humanly possible. You were created to be above all else in existence, but you think lower than the amoeba. Stop looking for the red ladder and rope along the road way. You carry ...
296. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Junior and Sammy. [Stories]
... Junior and Sammy This is the story of Junior, the cat, and his" daughter" Sammie, the Pomeranian. We were blessed with Junior, an oversized cat, who sees himself as delicate and fragile, and expects to be treated as such. Junior was given to my son and we think he was about two years old. He had ruled the house alone and happily so for many months. I had told my son about seeing a story on the news regarding some" meth head" that had burned his dog alive because the poor thing wouldn't quit barking, and it had no water or food. This must have made a huge impression on him. He had attended an auction with several of his friends, which was to benefit Toys for Tots. A local woman had donated a registered Red Pomeranian puppy, not quite 6 weeks old. Two of the folks who were bidding were known to be drug users, and ...
297. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Just One More Time. [Stories]
... what I do today. This was vacation. We traveled almost 12 miles to get there. That's right about 12 miles. I lived in Kingston we vacationed at Harvey's Lake. It was the best we could do. It was the most my family could afford. I'm 55 now and I've traveled to some of the most remarkable places. I have stayed in some of the most luxurious hotels. I've eaten some of the best meals in the world. But I'd give almost anything for one more night, one more picnic, one more roller coaster ride, one more trip to the outhouse" just one more time !"" I wish you enough !" J~Bob Perks~[ by: Bob Perks Copyright 2009 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
298. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Marines and Tampons. [Stories]
... Marines and Tampons Tampons to the rescue in Iraq !! Don't worry, it's a good story, and worth reading. It's even humorous in parts. It's from the mother of a Marine in Iraq. My son told me how wonderful the care packages we had sent them were and wanted me to tell everyone thank you. He said that one guy we'll call Marine X, got a girl care package and everyone was giving him a hard time. My son said," Marine X got some really nice smelling lotion and everyone really likes it, so every time he goes to sleep they steal it from him" I told my son I was really sorry about the mistake, and if he wanted I would send Marine X another package. He told me not to worry about Marine X because e very time I send something to him, Marine X thinks it's for him too. He said when my husband and I sent the last care ...
299. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- March to the Sea. [Stories]
... looked as if someone had upset a Monopoly game. Grammie never broke apart the massive tubers before planting unless they were too bulky to fit in their holes that must have measured a foot and a half across. If she could catch an unsuspecting fisherman on his way to the wharf below her house, she d get him to dig another hole or two to accommodate the new pieces. If she couldn t add to her parade of dahlias, she d give the extra pieces to my aunt who lived three houses and two hundred trees from us. She knew better than to offer them to my mother. Gertrude Jekyll she was not. Our serendipity flower garden consisted of one large clump of wild blue flags that obligingly bloomed at the end of our walkway. Even they succumbed after the plumber, who was hired to run water lines for our inside bathroom, cut them down with a scythe thinking he was doing Mama a big favor ...
300. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Midlife Crisis. [Stories]
... gaze in the reflection I see the features of family older and wiser in the shape and contour of my face. These family members gaze at me knowingly and understand the path I tread. A few of these family members remain while others reside in my memory only. One day these gathered in my mind will be the stuff of legend with a bit of fable thrown in. Family stories will be passed along to those who never knew the flesh and blood reality. Given enough time most will be forgotten. This chance encounter with the me in the mirror brings about a mid-life crisis of sorts. And I find myself needing to make a choice. I can attempt to mimic the me I recall in faulty memory or I can attempt to honor the memory of those I have known by being more like them. Yet neither choice seems entirely agreeable. Perhaps there is another choice. The good old days are often the best of memories sifted often ...
... just take the wallet" Coolidge did mind. He knew he had about $80 in his wallet. So he said," How much will it take to pay your hotel bill and get you and your friend back to the campus? Sit down and let's talk this over" Coolidge added up the room rate and two rail tickets. It came to $32. That may not sound like much now, but it was a considerable sum then." I'll give you the $32 as a loan ," the President said," and I expect you to pay me back" The youth thanked him. Coolidge then advised him to leave by the same window he used to enter the room, as secret service agents were sure to be patrolling the hallway. As the young man climbed out, Coolidge left him with this admonition:" Son, you're a nice boy. You are better than you are acting. You are starting down ...
302. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- My Child. [Stories]
... you with singing. Zephaniah 3: 17 I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32: 40 For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19: 5 I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32: 41 And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33: 3 If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4: 29 Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37: 4 For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2: 13 I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3: 20 For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34: 18 As a ...
... I stood on the shore, His waves danced at my feet washing away my cares. When I cried because young love was ripping my heart out He lifted my spirits by reminding me love will forever be a part of my life. When I swooned at the very thought of someone loving me in return, He gently said," I told you so" And even when I cursed the night and wished the moon away He always seemed to make things right by giving me the day. The sun will shine, the birds will sing and I promise very soon You'll see the joy that He will bring" The Man behind the moon"~Bob Perks~2believe @comcast.net [by: Bob Perks Copyright 2007 (2believe @comcast.net)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
304. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Lucky The Dog. [Stories]
... cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure. Remember... live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget. the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us. If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. Dear God. I pray for a cancer cure. Amen Please keep this circulating, even if it is only to one person, in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle. [Author Unknown-received from Kimberly Tew (momma_bitmap @hotmail.com )] Inspirational Stories SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...
305. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Keep Singing [Stories]
... an old love song like" You Are My Sunshine" or" Love Me Tender" Your God-given song may be a yard mowed, showing up at the nursing home with a bunch of wildflowers, baking a batch of brownies, or sending a check so a college student can come home for Christmas. Your best tune, the best life-giving music you will ever make, may sound like a long overdue apology, a generous helping of forgiveness, a $100 bill given to a stranger, volunteer work at the Salvation Army, or a Christmas card to one who was sure you had forgotten him or her long ago. If you have a song, won't you please sing it? If all you can do is hum, whistle, or belt out an, old love song from the flappers generation, maybe, just maybe, God can transform it into a hymn clothed in the shekinah of His love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keep on singing.. ...
306. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Kneading The Bread. [Stories]
... create a fine human being, but we have to knead, mold, and shape them, until they rise into fine adults. Most children reach a stage, usually in their mid to late teens, where they resist the kneading. They think they no longer need our guidance or advice and believe they re ready to take on the world. Just like the first rising of the dough, we have to let them be for a bit. We need to give them space to grow and learn on their own. Somewhere in their twenties, they change again, and once more seek our advice. It s time for the second kneading. This time, however, like the dough, they are softer and ready to be kneaded and molded. They accept the fact, that we do indeed know what we are doing, and allow us to shape them the final time. My son is not ready for his second kneading, ...
307. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Little Candle [Stories]
... 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 ( ...
... What was it that motivated this young woman? She says," it all came about because I could see some of the younger children in the elementary school were worrying over bullying. Others concentrated too much energy on reporting the wrong choices of others. I was looking for something to counteract this when I came up with the idea of reporting one another on acts of kindness. I sincerely believed and still do that an act of kindness should receive ten times the attention given to a deed that came about because of wrong choices. I wanted my program to encourage both students and adults to focus on the positive, on what is appreciated, not what is annoying or hurtful" The program also had some unforeseen side benefits. The reports often indicated when problems were at hand and then Ms. Braun was able to alert the school authorities." I noticed one week that many of the reports spoke of a children being helped up after falling on ...
309. Inspirational and Christian STORIES -- Sucker Day. [Stories]
... and, besides, everyone's heart was set on having a good time. They called their party The Sucker Festival. In a display of good-natured fun, people celebrated the fact that they'd been conned, snookered and hornswoggled. And now Sucker Day is an annual event Wetumka a good excuse to come together, to laugh and to have some fun. We're going to be fooled sometimes. Especially if we easily place our confidence in people. But I'm not going to give up trusting just to avoid being had. I've observed that some of the happiest people I know are far from being the most wary in fact, they are quite often open and trusting. These contented folks share at least two traits. The first is that they are trustworthy. They are known to be honest and true to their word. And the second trait these happy and satisfied people share is that they easily trust others. Sometimes their trust is misplaced, but ...
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