Has someone or a certain circumstance ever affected you in such a negative way, that you decided to alter the “REAL YOU” to match the actions of your adversary? Well, today’s short story is a great illustration and reminder that we should always stay true ourselves, maintain our core principles, and remain the people that we really are.
A man saw a snake being burned to death and decided to take it out of the fire. When he did, the snake bit him causing excruciating pain.the man dropped the snake, and it fell back into the fire.
So, the man grabbed a metal pole, took the snake out of the fire, and saved its life.
Someone who was watching approached the man and said, “That snake bit you. Why are you still trying to save it?” the man replied, “The nature of the snake is to bite, but that’s not going to change my nature, which is to help.”
Do not change your nature simply because someone tries to hurt you or does you wrong. Do not lose your good heart and take care to control your emotions so when the time comes, you can let your kindness shine!
What kind of person are you? Are you compassionate, sympathetic, and kind towards others? Or are you someone who is unsympathetic, callous, and impervious in your relationships with individuals?
The following poem was written by Sheri Eckert and serves as a great reminder that we should all “Be That One” kind of person who looks to inspire, encourage, and assist others in their journey of life.
Be That One
Be that one.
That One who forgives when a deep offense has been committed.
That One who loves when no one else does.
That One who shares kindness to those who are mean.
Be That One who looks past the insult, instead seeing the pain that motivated it.
That One who shines the light upon those who sit in utter darkness.
Because the impact of being That One runs far and wide.It brings healing to the wounded, joy to the sad, and hope to those in despair.
Be That One.
“How beautiful a day can be when KINDNESS touches it” 🙂
One of the things that I enjoy, is finding stories, anecdotes, and other little nuggets of wisdom and knowledge to share with others. A friend of mine sent me the following Six VERY short stories that demonstrate short examples of simple truths. I hope that you find them as enjoyable and helpful as I did!
Enjoy!
{1} Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s FAITH.
{2} When you throw babies in the air,they laugh because they know you will catch them. That’s TRUST.
{3} Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up. That’s HOPE
{4} We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s CONFIDENCE
{5} We see the world suffering,but still we get married and have children. That’s LOVE.
{6} On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence’I am not 80 years old; I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.’ That’s ATTITUDE.
Have a happy day & live your life like the 6 stories.
When I was a child, I thought nap time was punishment. Now it’s like a mini-vacation.
“GOOD FRIENDS ARE THE RARE JEWELS OF LIFE..DIFFICULT TO FIND AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLACE!
I recently came across the following story that I found interesting and inspirational. Unfortunately, I do not who wrote this analogy, I think that this is something that will inspire people whose desires and goals in their lives are to become leaders in their everyday lives.
Enjoy!
In the Jungle:
1. The Elephant is the biggest
2. The Giraffe is the tallest
3. The Fox is the wisest
4. The Cheetah is the fastest
Yet, the Lion is the King of the Jungle even without any of these qualities.
Why?
Because:
1. The Lion is courageous, bold, walks with confidence, is daring and never afraid.
2. The Lion believes it is unstoppable.
3. The Lion is a risk taker.
4. The Lion believes any food is for him.
5. The lion believes any opportunity is worth trying.
So…
1. You don’t need to be the biggest.
2. You don’t have to be the tallest.
3. You don’t have to be the wisest.
4. You don’t have to be the fastest.
All you need is “courage.”
All you need is the “will to try.”
All you need is the “Faith” to believe it is “Possible.”
All you need is to believe in yourself and believe that you can do it.
The Lion never walks alone! It is the only big cat that lives, hunts, and eats in groups. This quality demonstrates that we all need each other to succeed…whether it be in a family, neighborhood, workplace, Church/Mosque/Synagogue, and the nation at large!
Never Walk Along!
Stay in the Lion’s Mood!
That’s the mood for winners…regardless how old you are!
If you’ve ever felt despair, suffered tragedy or generally gone through the harshness of life, this is a wonderful story that will lift your spirits…
The Four Candles burned slowly. Their Ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak…
The First Candle said, “I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit.”
Then Peace’s flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.
The Second Candle said, “I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable.”
Then Faith’s flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.
Sadly, The Third Candle Speaks, “I Am Love and I haven’t the strength to stay lit any longer.
People put me aside and don’t understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them.” Waiting no longer, Love goes out completely.
Suddenly…A child enters the room and sees the three candles no longer burning. The child begins to cry, “Why are you not burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end!”
Then the Fourth Candle speaks gently to the little child, “Don’t be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-light the other candles.”
With Shining Eyes, the child took the Candle Of Hope and lit the other three candles.
Never let the Flame of Hope go out of your life. With Hope, no matter how bad things look and are…Peace, Faith and Love can Shine Brightly in our lives.
I hope people can learn how to walk backwards – starting today.
Photo Credit: Quang-Nguyen-Vinh via Pexels
A long time ago, a man got drunk and passed out naked. One of his sons found him and began telling others about his embarrassing position.
Maybe his son felt overlooked by his two brothers, maybe he was sternly corrected by his father, maybe he just like being the center of attention – and this sure got people’s attention.
His two brothers listened and were mortified. They looked at their brother and without saying a word, went to their passed-out father.
As they entered the room, they did not want to see their father disgraced, so they walked in backward.
They actually walked backward.
They carried a blanket and covered their father as he laid there naked and drunk as a skunk.
(Try walking backwards right now where you’re at – unless you’re driving : )
They wouldn’t dare mention this to anybody. No matter how strict, how selfish or how sinful their father was, they were determined to cover his sin, to sober him up and to encourage him to learn from his mistake and start living a better life.
He did. His name was Noah, and he built a pretty famous boat.
There’s an old saying: Love covers a multitude of sins.
What do you do when find out someone posted something years and years ago that is completely offensive (btw why would you even be looking for offensive material from several years ago?)
Do you “out” somebody, post it, tell your friends, tell your neighbors?
That’s a “gotcha!” mentality; why not have a ‘grace’ mentality and walk backwards?
I encourage you try to give mercy and grace to people at their weakest moments. I’m grateful many have shown me that in my life and I’ve tried to show the same.
I truly believe we will reap what we sow. Some people call it karma, call it what you want, but it’s absolutely true.
Noah’s two sons were blessed and their families; the other son and his family were not blessed.
You can hurt people or help people, break people down or build people up, you can laugh at them or love them.
Now more than ever, choose love and walk backwards.
A member of the church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.
It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.
The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, ‘Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the firey sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday.’
We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
The Lord is my Shepherd —– that’s a Relationship!
I shall not want —– that’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures —-that’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters —–that’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul —– that’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness –that’s Guidance!
For His name sake —– that’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death–that’sTesting!
I will fear no evil —– that’s Protection!
For Thou art with me —– that’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me —–that’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies——that’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil —–that’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over —– that’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—-that’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord —–that’s Security!
Forever —– that’s Eternity!
Face it, God loves you!
What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives!
A father said to his son: You graduated with honors, here is a car that I acquired many years ago … it is several years old.
But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you.
The son went to the used car lot, returned to his father and said, “They offered me $ 1,000 because it looks very worn out.”
The father said, “Take him to the pawn shop.”
The son went to the pawn shop, returned to his father and said, “The pawn shop offered $ 100 because it was a very old car.”
The father asked his son to go to a car club and show them the car.
The son took the car to the club, returned and told his father: “Some people in the club offered $ 100,000 for it, since it is a Nissan Skyline R34, iconic car and sought after by many.
The father said to his son, “I wanted you to know that the right place values you the right way.” …
If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means that you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you, and never stay in a place where no one sees your value.
Today’s world is getting busier and busier. It seems as though the anxieties, stresses, and the speed of the events going on around us are going faster and quicker every day. There are times when it seems like we just can’t catch up with the things that we would like to do. Our minds sometimes seem so overwhelmed with all the vast amounts of technology and information bombarding us…it can sometimes feel like we are going “over the edge.”
Well, I have good news for you time! The following is a simple story that I hope serves as a great reminder…for all of us…the importance of taking some time for ourselves each day!
There once was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in his barn. You see, it was no ordinary watch because it had great sentimental value for him. The watch had been passed down to him through the generations and it broke his heart knowing that he lost the watch.
He searched and searched but he could not find the treasured heirloom. After much thought and contemplation, the farmer decided to enlist the help of a group of children that were playing outside the barn. The children looked and looked for the watch, but they just couldn’t find it.
The farmer was heartbroken…it seemed like the watch was lost forever. But just when the farmer was about to give up, a little boy came up to him and the farmer, “Mr. Farmer, can I look for the watch one more time?” The farmer looked at him and thought, “why not?” “It certainly wouldn’t hurt…after all your friends looked for a few hours and couldn’t find it,” the farmer said.
So, the farmer told the little boy to go back into the barn and continue his search. To his complete surprise and astonishment, the boy come out, face beaming with pride, with the farmer’s watch in his hand!
The farmer was so happy and surprised! He asked the boy, “How did you find the watch? There were so many other people searching for it and they couldn’t find it, how did you discover it so quickly?”
The boy simply replied, “I did nothing but sit quietly on the ground and listen…in silence. Then I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in the direction the sound was coming from.”
You see folks, in the hustle and bustle of today’s world, we all need to take some time for ourselves to be quiet and allow ourselves to enjoy the gift of relaxing, re-energizing silence. A peaceful mind will allow us to think better and more clearly than a mind full of turmoil, anxiety, and stress.
Allow yourself to take some time each day to silence your mind and discover how it will help your day run a little smoother and happier when you quiet your soul!
This is a great illustration as to why some people do not do politics. This was my friend’s article in his church’s newsletter.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” ~ Philippians 4:8
As children, we played outside all the time. I am sure it was because we did not have air conditioning and the house was hotter than outside. Getting tangled up with “red ants” was a common occurrence.
Now it should not be a surprise to anyone that I was a very hyper child. So one day I was riding my bike and came across a huge red ant pile. Do you remember the phrase, “I got ants in my pants and I need to dance”? Well, I decided to see what that was like and I sat right down in the middle of that ant pile. You can guess what happens next… I got covered with ants. I ran home screaming and crying. I do not know what my mom said, but I do remember her pouring alcohol all over the bites.
You may be wondering what this has to do with the verse in Philippians. We are living in a time with information overload. We are filling our time watching and consuming information that we have no control over. I have quite a few friends who have become angry, and cynical because all they do is watch the news and then feel like they have to change the world by posting and talking and trashing the headlines.
Mostly it is about politics. It is just like those ants that I stirred up and paid the price for becoming part of their world. I would have been far better off ignoring them and chasing butterflies. But I gave my attention to the wrong thing.
When we are told to “think about things” that are noble and true, pure and right, lovely etc. it is because that is what is best. We are stressing ourselves out because we are paying attention to the wrong things. God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It gives light to our soul. It leads us beside still waters and comforts us. These are the things we need to be concentrating on.
I do not think we need to be ignorant of things going on in our world, but posting, commenting and constantly talking about it is like stirring up an ant bed and sitting on it. It makes us miserable and drives friends and families away. And, like it or not, if we disagree with the person it does effect how we feel about them, even if for a short moment. Plus, it does not change one little thing in the world other than “getting it off our chest”
We need to choose to be happy. If we are going to be posting things that are going to change the world, then we need to be posting about Jesus and what He is doing for us.
Let’s all make a commitment to read God’s word and put Philippians 4:8 into practice. Let’s choose to be trustworthy, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent.
I hope people can learn how to walk backwards – starting today.
A long time ago, a man got drunk and passed out naked. One of his sons found him and began telling others about his embarrassing position. Maybe his son felt overlooked by his two brothers, maybe he was sternly corrected by his father, maybe he just like being the center of attention – and this sure got people’s attention.
His two brothers listened and were mortified. They looked at their brother and without saying a word, went to their passed-out father.
As they entered the room, they did not want to see their father disgraced, so they walked in backward. They actually walked backward.They carried a blanket, and covered their father as he laid there naked and drunk as a skunk. (Try walking backwards right now where you’re at – unless you’re driving : )
They wouldn’t dare mention this to anybody. No matter how strict, how selfish or how sinful their father was, they were determined to cover his sin, to sober him up and to encourage him to learn from his mistake and start living a better life.
He did. His name was Noah, and he built a pretty famous boat.
There’s an old saying: Love covers a multitude of sins.
What do you do when you find out someone posted something years and years ago that is completely offensive (btw why would you even be looking for offensive material from several years ago?)Do you “out” somebody, post it, tell your friends, tell your neighbors?
That’s a “gotcha!” mentality; why not have a ‘grace’ mentality and walk backwards?
I encourage you try to give mercy and grace to people at their weakest moments. I’m grateful many have shown me that in my life and I’ve tried to show the same.
I truly believe we will reap what we sow. Some people call it karma, call it what you want, but it’s absolutely true.
Noah’s two sons were blessed and their families; the other son and his family were not blessed. You can hurt people or help people, break people down or build people up, you can laugh at them or love them.
Now more than ever, choose love and walk backwards.
Have you ever let the “little things” in your life get you down, made you mad, or take the joy out of your life? If so, then today’s little story is just or you!!
The only bird that dares to peck and irritate an eagle is the raven. It will sit on the eagle’s back and start to continually bite its neck. However, the eagle does not respond, nor does it fight with the raven. It does not spend its time and energy on the raven…it just opens its wings and begins to fly and rise higher and higher into the heavens. The higher the eagle flies, the harder it is for the raven to breathe and soon, the raven falls off due to the lack of oxygen.
Stop wasting your time with the “ravens.” Just take them to your heights and they will fade away.
The enemy will sit behind your back and bite your neck, but those who wait upon the Lord will have new strength; they will lift their wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:31)
