Hello my friends! It was a blessing when Lori called and invited herself over for supper tonight - we had pork chops - and Ollie was so happy to come as always!! She wanted to talk more about the weekend and her surgery time and going back again for post-op care and all that. We'll stay at my sister, Ethel's. Ollie and Sammy are coming along. It isn't settled yet, there may be a possibility we'll have to stay Sunday night too, if she has to go in again Monday morning. All this she found out today. Because of the stigmatism in both eyes, one other procedure has to be done first before the laser - good thing they know what they're doing! All complicated to me! So Darla goes to Miami on Friday for a job interview, and on the 6th to Tampa - may God bring her to the right place for her where she and Greg will be happy. If she doesn't get St. Thomas in St. Paul, it must be His Will then, and I have to accept it. All my prayers won't be wasted though. No prayer is ever wasted.
The most important things in life can't be held in your hands. Lord, may I
never be shy in showing the people in my life how much I value them.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"'Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in
a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy
of your master." ~Matthew 25:23
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
"Well done, good and trustworthy servant. Enter into the joy of your
master." These words are for many ordinary people whom the world may
pass by, unrecognizing. Not to be world-famed, the proud, the wealthy, are
these words spoken, but the quiet followers who serve God unobtrusively yet
faithfully, who bear their crosses bravely and put a smiling face to
the world. "Enter into the joy of your master." We can pass into that
fuller spiritual life which is a life of joy and peace.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may not desire the world's applause. I pray that I may
not seek rewards for doing what I believe is right.
A PILLOW AND A BLANKET
Author Unknown
A long time ago, a young, wealthy girl was getting ready for bed. She
was saying her prayers when she heard a muffled crying coming through
her window. A little frightened, she went over to the window and
leaned out.
Another girl, who seemed to be about her age and homeless was
standing in the alley by the rich girl's house. Her heart went out to
the homeless girl, for it was the dead of winter, and the girl had no
blanket, only old
newspapers someone had thrown out.
The rich girl was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea. She called
to the other girl and said, "You there, come to my front door,
please."
The homeless girl was so startled she could only manage to nod.
As quick as her legs could take her, the young girl ran down the hall
to her mothers closet, and picked out an old quilt and a beat up
pillow. She had to walk slower down to the front door as to not trip
over the quilt which was
hanging down, but she made it eventually. Dropping both the articles,
she opened the door. Standing there was the homeless girl, looking
quite scared.
The rich girl smiled warmly and handed both articles to the other
girl. Her smile grew wider as she watched the true amazement and
happiness alight upon the other girl's face. She went to bed
incredibly satisfied.
In mid-morning the next day a knock came to the door. The rich girl
flew to the door hoping that it was the other little girl there. She
opened the large door and looked outside. It was the other little
girl. Her face looked happy, and she smiled. "I suppose you want these
back."
The rich little girl opened her mouth to say that she could keep them
when another idea popped into her head. "No, I want them back."
The homeless girl's face fell. This was obviously not the answer she
had hoped for. She reluctantly laid down the beat up things, and
turned to leave when the rich girl yelled, "Wait! Stay right there."
She turned in time to see the rich girl running up the stairs and
down a long corridor. Deciding whatever the rich little girl was doing
wasn't worth waiting for she started to turn around and walk away. As
her foot hit the first step, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder,
turning she saw the rich little girl, thrusting a new blanket and
pillow at her. "Have these." she said quietly.
These were her own personal belonging made of silk and down feathers.
As the two grew older they didn't see each other much, but they were
never far from each other's minds. One day, the Rich girl, who was now
a Rich woman got a telephone call from someone. A lawyer, saying that
she was requested to see him.
When she arrived at the office, he told her what had happened. Forty
years ago, when she was nine years old, she had helped a little girl
in need. That grew into a middle-class woman with a husband and two
children. She had recently died and left something for her in her
will. "Though," the lawyer said, "it's the most peculiar thing. She
left you a pillow and a blanket."
DAILY PRAYER
All through today, O God, help me to be
quick to praise and slow to criticize;
quick to forgive, and slow to condemn;
quick to share and slow to refuse to give.
Grant me all through today
complete control over my temper,
that I may be slow to anger;
complete control over my tongue,
that I may speak no hasty word.
So grant that all through today I may help everyone and
hurt no one, so that I may find true joy in living. Amen.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It
had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career,
and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country
in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had
little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife
and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him.
I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the
fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure
you had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this
business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he
thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children
of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see
the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused
for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap
through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step
held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture.... Jack stopped
suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said.
"What box? " Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must
have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was
'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it,
except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get
some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work
one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a
package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next
three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and
looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was
difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.
"Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped
open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's
hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.
It's the thing I valued most in my life."
A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his
eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful
gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing,
he unlatched the cover.
Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold
Belser."
"The thing he valued most...was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared
his appointments for the next two days.
"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments
that take our breath away,"
Thank you for your time.....
-- Author Unknown
Mother Teresa Said...
Do I give the Christ who is full of zeal, love, joy, and sunshine?
Do I come up to the mark?
Or am I a dark light, a false light, a bulb without connection,
having no current and therefore shedding no radiance?
Put your heart into being a bright light.
Letting Go of Resentments
A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The
boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he
died, they took over the store.
Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of the
brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a
customer. When he returned, the money was gone. He asked his brother,
"Did you see that dollar bill on the cash register?"
His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and
questioning. He would not let it alone.
"Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen
it!"
There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment
set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They
refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together
and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store. For twenty years
hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their families and to the
community.
Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in
front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk,
"How long have you been here?"
The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said,
"I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding the rails'
and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came
into this store from the back door and saw a dollar bill on the cash
register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't
been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much money, but I had to come
back and ask your forgiveness."
The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged
man.
"Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the
store?" he said.
Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked
very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of
the store. After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of
resentment that divided them came down.
It is so often the little things -- like resentments -- that finally divide
people. And the solution, of course, is to let them go. There is really
nothing particularly profound about it. But for fulfilling and lasting
relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry around bitterness
and you may be surprised at how much energy you have left for building bonds
with those you love.
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