The Silversmith

Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to study the
scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came
upon a remarkable expression in the third verse:

"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Malachi
3:3)"

One lady proposed to visit a silversmith, and report to them on
what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without
telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell
her about the process of refining silver.

After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But Sir, do you
sit while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eyes
steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for
refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be
injured."

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the
expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." God
sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is
steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love
are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come
at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can
endure.

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you
know the process is complete?"

"Why, that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can
see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

-- Author Unknown

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He
constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant
to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms
that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and
crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a
steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past
middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the
farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help,
hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk,
and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night
the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the
farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's
sleeping quarters.

He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie
things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in
bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind
blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the
spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his
amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered
with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in
the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly
secured.

Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer
then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed
to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically,
you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through
your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he
had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in
Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding
ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just
need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.

BUT WHAT THEN, SENOR?

For People Who Love Their Jobs More Than Their Lives

* Quotation by Dr..Bob Jones, Sr. *

An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, Senor."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Senor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But Senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, Senor?"

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

Millions, Senor? Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

"You mean being a Harvard MBA, you have to go through all that to finally get to where I already am, Senor?"

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"Jesus never taught men how to make a living. He taught men how to live"
---------------------------------------------

PRAYER:
"Only this hour is mine, Lord ,
Teach me to use it first for Thee;
Then for my family and neighbors,
For this country you gifted me...
May every precious passing hour
Always count for eternity."

Baseball and the hereafter

Two ninety year old men, Moe and Sam, have been friends all their
lives. It seems that Sam is dying of cancer, and Moe comes to visit him every
day.

"Sam," says Moe, "You know how we have both loved baseball all our
lives, and how we played minor league ball together for so many years. Sam,
you have to do me one favor. When you get to Heaven, and I know you will go
to Heaven, somehow you've got to let me know if there's baseball in
Heaven."

Sam looks up at Moe from his death bed, and says, "Moe, you've been my
best friend many years. This favor, if it is at all possible, I'll do it for
you."

And shortly after that, Sam passes on.

It is midnight a couple of nights later. Moe is sound asleep when he is
awakened by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calls out to
him, "Moe.... Moe...."

"Who is it?" says Moe sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"

"Moe, it's me, Sam."

"Come on. You're not Sam. Sam just died."

"I'm telling you," insists the voice. "It's me, Sam!"

"Sam? Is that you? Where are you?"

"I'm in heaven," says Sam, "and I've got to tell you, I've got really
good news and a little bad news."

"So, tell me the good news first," says Moe.

"The good news," says Sam "is that there is baseball in heaven. Better
yet, all our old buddies who've gone before us are there. Better yet, we're
all young men again. Better yet, it's always spring time and it never rains
or snows. And best of all, we can play baseball all we want, and we never
get tired!"

"Really?" says Moe, "That is fantastic, wonderful beyond my wildest
dreams!

But, what's the bad news?"

"You're pitching next Tuesday."

Homily Of Love

When you think of your past love,you may view it as
a failure. but when you find a new love, you view the
past as a teacher. in the game of love, it doesn't
really matter who won or who lost. what is important
is you know when to hold on & when to let go. you
knw you really love someone when you want him or her
to be happy, even if their happiness means that
you're not part of it.

Everything happens for the best. if the person you
love doesn't love you back, don't be afraid to love
someone else again, for you'll never know unless you
give it a try. you'll never love the person you love
unless you risk for love. love strives in hurting.
if you don't get hurt, you don't learn how to love.
love doesn't hurt you all the time. though hurting
is still there to test you, to help you grow.

Don't find love, let love find you. that's why it's
called falling in love because you don't force
yourself to fall. you just fall. you cannot finish
a book without closing it's chapters. if you want to
go on, then you have to leave the past as you turn
the pages.

Love is not destroyed by a single failure or won by
a single caress. it is a lifetime venture in which
we are always learning, discovering & growing. we
lose someone we love only when we are destined to
find someone else who can love us even more than we
can love ourselves. on falling out of love, take
sometime to heal & then get back on the horse. but
don't ever make the same mistake of riding the same
one that threw you the first time.

To love is to risk rejections, to live is to risk
dying, to hope is to risk failure. but risk must be
taken because the greatest hazard in life is risk
nothing. to reach for another is to risk involve-
ment, to expose your feelings is to expose true self.
TO LOVE IS TO RISK NOT TO BE LOVED IN RETURN.

How to define LOVE: fall but do not stumble, be
constant but not too persistent, share & never be
unfair, understand & not to demand, hurt but never
keep the pain.

Love is like a knife. it can stab the heart or it
carve wonderful images into the soul that always last
for a lifetime. love is supposed to be the most won-
derful feeling. it should inspire you & give you joy
& strength. but sometimes the things that give you
joy can also hurt you in the end. loving people means
giving them the freedom who they choose to be &
where they choose to be. for all the heartaches & the
tears, for gloomy days & fruitless years, you should
give thanks, for you know, that there were the things
that helped you grow.

Loving someone means giving him the freedom to find
his way, whether it leads towards you or away from you.
love is a painful risk to take but the risk must be
taken no matter how scary or painful, for only then
you'll experience the fullness of humanity & that is
love.

Only love can hurt your heart, fill you with desire &
tear you apart. only love can make you cry & only
love knows why.

When you decide to love, allow it to grow.
When you promise to love, refuse to let it die.

Three Things In Life

Three Things In Life:

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time, Words & Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace, Hope & Honesty.

Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love, Faith & Prayer

Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams, Success & Fortune

Three things that make a man -
Hard work, Sincerity & Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man -
Lust, Pride & Anger

Three things that are truly constant -
Father, Son and Holy Ghost

I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today;
to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
His love is always with you, His promises are true.
And when you give Him all your cares, you know He'll see you through.

Life Explained

On the first day God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give you back the other ten." So God agreed.

On the second day God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said, "How boring, monkey tricks for twenty years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back ten, so that's what I'll do too, okay?" And God agreed.

On the third day God created the cow. God said, "You must go to the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. Let me have twenty and I'll give back the other forty." And God agreed again.

On the fourth day God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. I'll give you twenty years."

Man said, "What? Only twenty years! Tell you what, I'll take my twenty, and the forty the cow gave back and the ten the monkey gave back and the ten the dog gave back, that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God, "you've got a deal."

So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves; for the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family; for the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren; and for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of
coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items
in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He
then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the
jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the
table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the
empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are
the important things---God, your family, your children, your health,
your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was
lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the
sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or
the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are
important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean
the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---
the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may
seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID.

The Rain

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets
of town, taking those extra
precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.
Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen,
spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm
thinking of something."
This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some
fact for a while, and
was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had
discovered. I was eager to hear.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"The rain! ;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield
wipers are like God wiping our sins away."
After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond.
"That's really good, Aspen."
Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take
this revelation? So I asked... Do you notice how the rain
keeps on coming? What does that tell you?
Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer:
"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
Isn't it distressing to know that when you forward this message
you will not send it to many
on your address list because you're not sure what they believe,
or what they will think of you for
sending it to them.
Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think
of me than what God thinks of
me.
In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure some rain.

The Shoe Box

There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60
years. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each
other except that the old woman had a shoe box in the top of her
closet that she cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all these years he had never thought about the box, but one day
the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not
recover. In trying to sort out their affairs the little old man took
down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that
it was time he should know what was in the box.

When he opened it he found 2 crocheted doilies and a stack of money
totaling $25,000. He asked her about the contents.. "When we were
married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy
marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry
with you, I should just! keep quiet and crochet a doily.

The little old man was so moved: he had to fight back tears. Only 2
precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him 2
times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with
happiness.

"Honey", he said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all this
money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies."

A prayer:

I pray for wisdom to understand my man,
Love to forgive him, and patience for his moods.
Because, Lord, if I pray for strength,
I'll beat him to death.

What does love means

What does Love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a
group of 4- to 8-year-olds, "What does love mean?" The
answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could
have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over
and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it
for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis
too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is
different. You just know that your name is safe in their
mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on
shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of
your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy -age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she
takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get
tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you
talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look
gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you
stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with
a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this
planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he
wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who
are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was
scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my
daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I
wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone
else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still
says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you
left him alone all day." (my personal favorite)
Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all
her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and
little stars come out of you." (what an imagination)
Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she
doesn't think it's gross."
Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it.
But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People
forget."
Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once
talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose
of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door
neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his
wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the
old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat
there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the
neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him
cry"

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find
out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this
a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer
for the person who sent you this.

Father God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that You
know they may be needing this day! And may their life be
full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to
have a closer relationship with you. Amen.