There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would
paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king
looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really
liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for
peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky
with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it
was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and
bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which
lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming
waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a
tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird
had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water,
sat the mother bird on her nest in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the
second picture. Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in
the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That
is the real meaning of peace.”

Author Unknown

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I’m talking about my annual “Guilt Trip.”

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year’s most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn’t going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol’ Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It’s Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don’t Blame Me and I Couldn’t Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent “pity party” could be cancelled by ME! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn’t have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN’T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I’ve made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you’re planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very helpful. By the way, you don’t have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you can find it — it’s in your own heart — please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.

Here’s a unique story based on the thought that “Less Is More”. So often we feel like we have to explain, convince, argue, etc… when fewer words may be just what someone needs to hear. Someone once said that it is no coincidence that God gave us 2 ears, and only 1 mouth…

An insurance agent learned that he would receive his company’s award for having sold more life insurance than anyone else in the state. The big problem: He had to make a speech at the time he got the award. He was supposed to tell the other insurance agents how he did it. Joe had a phobia about public speaking, but he was still expected to give the speech.

So he went to work on this speech. He wrote it and rewrote it. Finally, he got it just right. He typed it up on cards and taped the cards on his shaving mirror. Every morning while he was shaving, he memorized that speech. Finally, Joe had it imprinted into the grooves of his brain cells like a laser disk. He was ready.

The great evening came. The huge auditorium was filled with insurance salespeople from all over the state. Then they called him forward to receive the award. Pressing a plaque into Joe’s hand, the president of the company patted him on the back and said, “Now, tell us, how did you do it?”

Joe turned to his great sea of eyes, waiting expectantly for him to say something profound. But he could not think of the first line. Groping for it, he said, “Ah, uh, ah…” He couldn’t remember the first line but he finally thought of a line from down in the middle. (If you are in that kind of situation, you are willing to start anyplace.) So he said, “Ah, uh – See the people….”

But Joe was so frightened that he couldn’t remember what came after that. So he started again, “Ah, ah – See the people, ah, uh. See the people!” And he sat down.

Most of the people in the auditorium thought Joe said exactly what he intended to say. They heard it as a dramatic speech and gave him a standing ovation.

The power of the cross…an incredible story

In 1967 while I was taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray, who was also a student at the school and training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high diver. Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church, so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him. He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally the day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he had realized his own need of a redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Saviour. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. But his reply was a strong ‘no’. In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call from him. He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses that I had given him about salvation. I gave him the references to several passages and asked if I could meet with him. He declined my offer and thanked me for the scripture. I could tell that he was greatly troubled, but I did not know where he was or how to help him.

Because he was training for the Olympic Games, Charles had special privileges at the University pool facilities. Sometime between 10:30 and 11:00 that evening he decided to go swim and practice a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone brightly across the top of the wall in the pool area. Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind. He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. His shadow was in the shape of a cross. He could bear the burden of sin no longer. His heart broke and he sat down on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him. He trusted Jesus Christ twenty some feet in the air. Suddenly, the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his platform he saw an EMPTY pool which had been drained for repairs.

He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross had stopped him from disaster.
Galatians 6:14

Here’s a great way to quickly change your attitude about anything and to put yourself in a positive frame of mind. Wherever you are, whatever has happened, in every situation, consider yourself truly blessed. If there’s something which must be done, that you’d really rather avoid, consider that you’re truly blessed to be doing it. That simple change in thinking can put an amazing positive spin on the experience.

If there’s a troublesome situation confronting you, consider yourself truly blessed to be able to face it. It will help you to fashion your most positive, effective and resourceful response.

Sure, it’s difficult to think of yourself as truly blessed when you’re in the middle of something unpleasant, frightening or frustrating. Difficult as it may be, though, it sure beats the alternative of giving in to despair and negativity.

It may not make sense at first to your logical mind, yet in some very positive and empowering way your spirit will understand. Indeed, you are truly blessed, and it can be a powerful positive boost to remind yourself of that fact. Just do it and see for yourself what a difference it can make.

Ralph Marston

Joshua was a very wise advisor to the king. But he had a rather ugly face. The king’s daughter was jealous because Joshua was getting more attention from her father than she was. So she tried to make fun of him.

One day she asked him mockingly: “If you are so wise, tell me why God stores so much wisdom in such a plain vessel.” Joshua asked her: “Does your dad have any wine?” “Don’t be silly,” she said. “We’ve got the best wine in the whole world.” “Okay,” asked Joshua, “where does he keep it?” “In large earthenware jugs,” she answered quickly. “Earthenware!” Joshua roared with laughter. “I’m surprised that a clever man like your dad would use such plain material for such good wine. Even the poorest people in town do that. I would expect royal wine to be kept in gold and silver jars.” He bowed and left the princess, who was red-faced with anger.

She raced over to the royal wine cellar and ordered the caretaker to pour all the wine out of the earthenware jugs into vessels of silver and gold.

Shortly afterwards the king invited people to a banquet, and he ordered the waiters to serve his best wine. The guests sipped it and their noses turned up. The wine had gone sour. The king was furious and called in the chief steward and demanded an explanation, which he got. The princess got a proper scolding and she then put the blame on Joshua.

“You tricked me into doing this,” she shouted. “I am truly sorry, little one,” began Joshua, “but perhaps now you see why God sometimes prefers to put wisdom in ugly containers. Wisdom is like wine: it is best preserved in humble vessels.”

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 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 toward the woods. He wasn’t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great task in mind…trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.

I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: He would walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house.

Finally I couldn’t take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen…as he was obviously doing important work and didn’t need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them…maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands.

I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him…he didn’t even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.

I followed him back to the house; to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip drip slowly fill up his makeshift “cup”, as the sun beat down on his little back.

And it came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn’t ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. “I’m not wasting”, was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him…with a small pot of water from the kitchen.

I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops…and more drops…and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride. Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don’t really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can’t argue with that…I’m not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm…just like that actions of one little boy saved another.

I don’t know if anyone will read this…but I had to send it out. To honor the memory of my beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon…. But not before showing me the true face of God, in a little sunburned body.

—Author Unknown—

A young man is getting ready to graduate from college. For many months
he had admired a beutiful sports car is a dealer’s showroom, and
knowing that his father could well afford it, he told him that was all
he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young awaited signs that his father
had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, 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 box. Curious and somewhat
disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-
bound Bible, with the youngman’s name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose
his voice to 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 was very successful in business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized that his
father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to 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. He needed to come home right away and take care of things. When he
arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his
heart.

He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the
still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father
carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, “And if ye, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your
Heavenly Father who is in Heaven, give to those who ask him?” As he
read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had
a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car
he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the
words PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God’s blessings because we can’t see past
our own desires?

The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.”

The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.”
Without missing a beat or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, “They will in a minute.”

What goals have you set? What goals would you like to set? What would you like to do with your time? Tell Me about your job, your hobbies, your leisure activities, your visits with family and friends. How would you like Me to help you? I died for you; certainly I will help you in all other ways, too.

With what special graces do you want Me to favor you? About which situations would you like Me to give you insights? Which gifts of My Spirit do you need to live a more successful Christian life? Ask Me for these, because I long to share them with you—and to share them abundantly.

Tell Me which problems you want Me to help you resolve, which ones you want Me to help you get through as you wait for the resolution. Ask Me to help you increase your trust in our Father’s plans for these problems. He loves you, I love you, My Holy Spirit loves you, and we, as One, desire what’s best for you.

Your tears have touched Me. Tell Me what makes you cry. Lean into My shoulder and let your tears flow. I will absorb your pain, and your tears will become as drops in the ocean. Tell Me how much you need Me to relieve your pain. I already bore your pain on My cross; let Me heal you now.