Today Is a Beautiful Day but I Cannot See It

Today Is a Beautiful Day but I Cannot See It

 

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.

 

Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling… And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it!!! After reading this email you really felt touched and you liked the story, I suggest you share it. Remember, this email could change someone's life. Enjoy your day with a heart of gratitude.

 

Does Your Heart Still Ache?

Does Your Heart Still Ache?

 

A woman whose only son had died went to a holy man and asked, "What powers do you have that will lift the ache from my heart?" He said, "There is a wonderful thing you can do. But first you must bring me a mustard seed from a family that has no problems." The woman went immediately to a beautiful mansion, thinking, "Nothing can possibly be wrong here!" She knocked the door and said, "I have to find a mustard seed from a home where there are no problems. It's very important to me. May I have one of your mustard seeds?" The people said to her, "Oh, you have come to the wrong house." They began listing all their problems. The woman thought, "I certainly know something about few problems. May be I can help them." She listened, consoled and comforted. At every home in the town the same thing happened. Finally, she returned to the holy man and said, "I did not find the seed you wanted. Instead, I gave away all the seeds of love I could give." "And does your heart still ache?" asked the holy man. "No," she said but then she added with a smile, "but I'm thinking of growing some mustard seed and letting it go to seed."

 

Whatever you think you are on the outside, you likely are on the inside. The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than 30% of the people in this world. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have. Hebrews 13:5

Wonderful Counselor

Wonderful Counselor

 

Do you need wisdom or direction in your life today? The scripture tells us that Jesus is our Counselor. And He's not just any kind of Counselor, He's a Wonderful Counselor. When something is wonderful, it means it is unusually good, marvelous or astonishing. Think about that for a moment. God is a marvelous, astonishing, unusually good Counselor — the very best you could ever have!

 

Today, no matter what you may be facing, no matter what kinds of decisions you have to make, consider God. Ask Him to direct your steps and confirm His perfect will for your life. Remember, He is the best counselor there is. Let Him direct and guide your path. Seek Him with your whole heart, put Him first, and let Him lead you in blessing and victory in every area of your life. Father in heaven, You are my Wonderful Counselor. I submit all my ways to You. I trust that You have a good plan for me. Thank You for giving me wisdom and direction in every area of my life in Jesus' name. Amen.

Life Is Too Short

Life Is Too Short

 

While preparing to speak at a convention, a man wanted his wife to go out for sandwiches while he got ready for the event. He requested for a chicken sandwich with no mayonnaise. He made sure she understood his order, even to the point of her replying, "Yep, I got it. N-o-o-o-o-mayo." When the sandwich arrived, however, he found it smothered with mayonnaise. His wife seemed totally to have forgotten his request. He had launched into a tirade of "you never listen – you only care about yourself" statements. Tension filled the air in the hotel room for a full hour before he finally asked his wife to forgive him. Later that evening after he had spoken, a man came to him and said, "It's lovely to see how much you and your wife love each other. Treasure one another!" He walked away with tears in his eyes. A woman standing nearby said, "He lost his wife last month. She died of a heart attack. They had been married only two years." The speaker thought - How would I feel if the last thing I got to say to my wife was that she blew my sandwich order?

 

What was the last thing you said to your loved one? Express gratitude for their lives rather than irritation at their faults. Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first time or the last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

 

It’s Action Time

It's Action Time

 

While walking down the road one day, a turtle fell into a pothole in the center of a country road. He spun his little legs but couldn't free himself. A rabbit friend came hopping along and offered assistance but no matter what they tried, the turtle remained stuck in the muddy hole. "It's no use," the turtle said. "There's no help for me." Various other animal friends passed his way but the turtle refused their help, believing his destiny was sealed in the muck of the hole in which he had fallen. He sighed, "It's hopeless," and pulled his head inside his shell. Then he heard a rumble. And peeking from his shell, he spotted a tractor heading straight for the pothole in which he sat. Without another thought, he scrambled out of the hole and across the road to safety. Later his friends saw him and asked, "How did you get free? We thought you couldn't get out of that pothole." The turtle replied, "Oh, I couldn't … but then I had to!"

 

Don't wait for crisis to develop before you decide to take action on your problem or to make a difficult decision. Act now. You'll save yourself stress and panic later. Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous: you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other! Revelation 3:15 NIV

 

The Ripple Effect

The Ripple Effect

 

Not everyone who commits his or her life to God will be called to be world famous. The majority of us are called to fulfill less noticeable roles in our churches, schools, communities, and families. Yet only God may know how significant our roles are to the future of thousands–even millions.

 

A century and a half ago a humble minister lived and died in small village in Leicestershire, England. He lived there his entire life and never travelled far from home. He never attended college, had no formal degrees but was a faithful village minister. In his congregation was a young cobbler to whom he gave special attention, teaching him the Word of God. This young man was William Carey, later hailed as one of the greatest missionaries of modern times. The village minister also had a son-a boy whom he taught faithfully and constantly encouraged. The boy's character and talents were profoundly impacted by his father's life. That son grew up to be a man many considered the mightiest public orator of his day: Robert Hall. Widely admired for his saintly character, his preaching was powerful and his sermons influenced the decisions of statesmen. It seems the village pastor accomplished little in his life as a preacher. There were no spectacular revivals, great miracles, or major church growth. But his faithful witness and Godly life had much to do with giving India its Carey and England its Robert Hall.

 

When you think you are having no impact in the world, remember the little country preacher who influenced two nations for the Lord. The mustard seed… Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Matthew 13:32 (KJV)

 

Five Minutes

Five Minutes

 

If you wake up as weary as you were when you went to bed the night before, try to recall what you were thinking about during the last five minutes before you went to sleep. What you think about in that five minutes impacts how well you sleep, which determines what kind of day the following day will be.

 

When you sleep, your conscious mind is at rest, but your subconscious mind remains active. Psychologists call the subconscious the "assistant manager of life." When the conscious mind is "off duty", the subconscious mind takes over. The subconscious carries out the orders that are given to it even though you are not aware of it. For example, if the last minutes before going to sleep are spent worrying, the subconscious records and categorizes that as fear and acts as if the fear is reality. Thus muscles remain tense, nerves are on edge, and the body's organs are upset which means the body is not really at rest. However, if those last five minutes are spent contemplating some great idea, an inspiring verse, or a calm and reassuring thought, it will signal to the nervous system, "All is well" and then put the entire body in a relaxed, peaceful state. Many of the days that begin badly started out that way because of the night before, during those critical last five minutes of conscious thought.

 

You can input positive healthy thoughts into your conscious mind and pave the way for quiet, restful sleep by simply meditating on God's Word as you drop off to sleep. For example, Psalm 91:1-2(NKJV): He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."

Is It A Catastrophe?

Is It A Catastrophe?

 

Worry is often linked to the fact that we don't know how to respond to potential, past, or current events in our lives – or what to do about potential consequences. We don't know whether the long-term effect of a situation will be good or bad.

 

A man in China raised horses for a living and one day one of his prized stallions ran away. His friends gathered at his home to help him mourn his loss. But the next week, the horse returned, bringing with it seven strays. The same friends gathered again, this time to celebrate his fortune. That afternoon the horse kicked the owner's son and broke his back. The friends came again to express sorrow and concern. But a month later, war broke out and the man's son was exempt from military service. Again, the friends came together to rejoice.

 

Often at the time we are going through an experience, we truly can't tell a catastrophe from a cause of celebration. God asks us to trust Him with each circumstance as it arises and to walk out each day with faith. We are to expect the best, believing that God can and will work all things for both His and our eternal benefit. I've suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened. …all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

 

A Happy Heart

A Happy Heart

 

George Muller would not preach until his heart was "happy in the grace of God." Jan Ruybroeck would not write while his feelings were low, he would retire to a quiet place and wait on God until he felt joy in his heart. It was the happy laughter and joy of a group of Moravian believers that convinced John Wesley of the reality of their faith and helped bring him to a point of genuine spiritual conversion.

 

Joy is both the responsibility and the privilege of every believer. As Henry Evansen wrote: "It costs nothing but creates much, It enriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes last forever. None are so rich that they can get along without it and none so poor but are richer for its benefits." It fosters good will in a business, creates happiness in a home and countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature's best attitude for trouble. What is it? A Smile!

 

Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart. Be a happy heat today! A happy heart is a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 (AMP)

 

Life Lessons

Life Lessons

 

"You know that what you did was wrong, don't you?" The words echoed in Sandra's mind as she went home from school that evening. She was a good student who had never cheated in her life. Yet, this last assignment had been more than she could handle. In a moment of desperation, she copied the work of another student. Her teacher, Mrs. Wallace, had asked her to wait after class, and Sandra knew what was coming. Still, I was a shock when Mrs. Wallace asked her if it was her work. "Yes," she squeaked out, and then wondered why she had lied. Looking her straight in the eye, Mrs. Wallace carefully said, "You know that what you did was wrong, don't you?

 

Take tonight to think about your answer and I will ask you again in the morning if this is your work." It was a long night for Sandra. She was a junior in high school with a well-deserved reputation for honesty and kindness. She has never cheated before and now she had compounded her mistake by deliberately lying – and to someone she admired and loved. The next morning she was at Mrs. Wallace's classroom door long before school officially started, and she quietly confessed her misdeed. She received the appropriate consequences, a zero on the assignment and detention (her first and only detention).

 

Mrs. Wallace was willing to help Sandra make honest choices– even on the heels of making a dishonest one. For Sandra, this was a life lesson about taking responsibility for past mistakes and choosing honesty no matter what the consequences. Years later, Sandra often thought of that experience and felt gratitude for loving correction from someone she respected. …speaking the truth in love… Ephesians 4:15 (KJV).