CAN I GET A THANK YOU!

Someone shared this to me, so I had to pass it on...

I dreamed that I went to Heaven, and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said,"This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth."

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed."

How is it that there is no work going on here? ” I asked.

"So sad." The angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. "Just say, 'Thank you, Lord'."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"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, you are among the top 8% of the world ’ s wealthy.

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness , you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day. If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation , then you are ahead of 700 million people in the world."
WAIT, THERE'S MORE.......
"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world. If your parents are still alive and still married , you are very rare."

AUTHOR UNKNOWN, BUT I'M SO GLAD SOMEONE SHARED

A Child's Trip to See God

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to

where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man.  He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons.  The boy sat downnext to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he  smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.

She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what?  He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked,"Dad, what did you do today that made you  so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God."  However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

 

God still sits on the throne.  You may be going through a tough time right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can.

Keep the faith!

 

Here is the  prayer:

Jesus, I ask You to bless whoever is reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your Grace.

Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The prayer is unknown

25 Inspirational Phrases

1. Give God what's right.....not what's left. 
2. Man's way leads to hopeless end ......God's way leads to an endless hope . 
3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 
4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be the period. 
6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 
7. Are you wrinkled with burden?  Come to the church for a face-lift. 
8. When praying, don't give God instructions...... just report for duty.
9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 
10. We don't change God's message.....His message changes us. 
11. The church is prayer-conditioned. 
12. When God ordains, He sustains.
13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. 
14. Plan ahead......It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 
15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position. 
16. Suffering from truth decay?  Brush up on your Bible.
17. Exercise daily .... walk with the Lord. 
18. Never give the devil a ride....he will always want to drive. 
19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it. 
20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
21. He who angers you controls you. 
22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop. 
23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.
24. Be ye fishers of men....You catch them & He'll clean them.
25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called

The author is unknown, but to see a Power Point Presentation, click on this link

A Woman's Worth

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,  but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.  They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy  and laugh when they are nervous.  They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.  They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.  They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.  They cry when their children excel  and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they  think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.  The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas. They give moral support to their  family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give..

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.     

---author unknown---

OUT THE MOUTH OF BABES

The GREAT Sneeze

Because of a recent court ruling in Canada, students were prohibited to pray during a high school graduation. This is a true story; it happened at Eastern Shore District High School  in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova  Scotia. This was emailed to me by a friend.

The principal and several students were careful to stay within the  guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave  inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked  for blessings on the graduates or their  families. 
 
The speeches were nice,  but they were routine until the final speech  received a standing  ovation.
A solitary student  walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still  and silent for just a moment, and then, it  happened.  

All 92 students, every  single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED. 
 
The student on stage  simply looked at the audience and  said, 'GOD BLESS  YOU,' then he walked off the  stage...
 
The audience exploded  into applause. This graduating class had found a  unique way to invoke God's blessing on their  future with or without the court's  approval.  

Tell this story to friends and family, so the devil will not have the victory!

Garbage

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.  We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!  The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.  And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that?  This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call,  'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.  Don't take it personally.

Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.  Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

So ... Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Have a garbage-free day!
author unknown

10 THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY

1..... God won't ask what kind of car you drove... He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have
transportation.

2... God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3.... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6.... God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8... God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

9... God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10... God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He already knows your decision.
Author unknown, but shared by friend.

Selah/ Stop and think about how we treat others

Five (5) lessons about the way we treat people
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read The last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely, " said the professor.. "In your careers, you will meet many people.  All are significant.. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello.."
I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.  It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits, then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole. (I don't know if this is true, but we could easily replace this name with someone else in need)

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left..  When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table.  There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..
You see,  he couldn't  have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway.  Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.  Some of the King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.  Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.  After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.  The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease.  Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-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 little 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 her." 
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. 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, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Author unknown, but shared with me by reader Cora Johnson. Thank you!!

Children: You've Got To Love Them

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an  Envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.'

With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you.

I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.
I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it' s not only the passion... Dad she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy.

She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.
Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.
Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love,

Your Son John

PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house.. I Just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than a report card that's in my center desk drawer.

I love you.

Call me when it's safe to come home.

The House That We Build

 An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended
family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a
personal favor.
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "My gift to you."
The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If only he knew he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But, we cannot go back. You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.

"Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today build the "house" you live in tomorrow.

> Build wisely!
This was emailed to me by friend Pat Hughes.
The author is unknown.

From the mouth of babes: What is a grandparent?

The following was taken from papers written by a class of 8 year-olds and sent to me via email by a friend. ENJOY. Above are pictures of my grandma Jessie Atkins years before she passed away, my great-grandmothers Minerva Wade and Rhoda Brownlee Wilkerson. To see more of my old pictures, visit http://photos.patsimmons.net

**Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's. A Grandfather is a man and a Grandmother is a lady!

**Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

**When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

**Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes. They wear glasses and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

**Everybody should try to have a Grandmother, especially if you don't have Television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

**They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

**A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED.''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''

GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

**It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

The last time you thought of these things

I AM THANKFUL:  FOR THE WIFE,
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. 

FOR THE HUSBAND WHO IS ON THE SOFA, BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED . 


FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. 

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE 


FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME. 

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. 


FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS   I CAN HEAR. 

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING  BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. 


FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY  BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD. 

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

The author is unknown, but was shared with me by a cousin.