"Christian Voices"

August 19, 2010

HUMOR

A driver tucked a note under her windshield wiper and dashed off: ”I've circled the block for 20 minutes. I'm late for an appointment, and if I don't park here I'll lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses."

Returning, she came back only to find a parking ticket and this note: "I've circled the block for 20 years, and if I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. . . Lead us not into temptation."

.....Chaplain Notes (ChapnotesMail@aol.com) (http://www.chapnotes.org)

t.airportchaplain@verizon.net) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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THOUGHT PROVOKING – INSPIRATIONAL

From tiny inconsequential seeds, flowers of all colors and varieties grow. In the same way, a sentence, a word of praise, a scripture passage or a Miraculous story positions itself in the human psyche and can grow and blossom. I hope we are all scattering beautiful seeds.

As a child, mother gave me the chore of cleaning the bathroom. I would earn a small allowance from my chores. When I was done that first time, I called on mother to inspect my work. She praised me. She commented on how shiny the faucets were. She noticed what I had done and she smiled.

I can still remember the feeling those words gave me. I was inspired to do more. There was no thought of a raise, for indeed I was looking for more of mother's smiles and more of her words of praise! And I wanted to please her.

Again I say, may we all think to scatter uplifting stories, or words of praise, or write our true stories of healing, of angels or of the power of prayer.

.....Ellie Braun-Haley (ellie@evrcanada.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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THE BEST GIFTS

I had yet another birthday recently. It is strange how they keep popping up year after year. They must come from the same place as the grey hairs and wrinkles, because each year I seem to have more of them too. Still, as my body gets older and older my soul seems to get younger and younger, so I don’t mind celebrating a birthday now and then.

For some reason too this one seemed especially good. It may have been the chocolate cake and chocolate chip ice cream that made both my face and my stomach smile. It may have been the good natured teasing and hugs I got. It may have been seeing that childlike sparkle in my grown children’s eyes when they gave me my gifts. It may have even been the thoughtful gifts themselves picked out with such care. I think most of all, though, it was the gifts behind the gifts that filled my day with so much joy. You see, each gift was filled with the love of the person who gave it. Each gift was a package of love delivered from their heart to mine and each gift made my own love burn brighter.

The more birthdays I celebrate in this life, the more I see that love is really the only thing that matters. The parties you have, presents you get, or years you age aren’t important. All that counts is how much love you choose, share, and give in this world, because love itself is the greatest gift there is.

God in His loving wisdom has given each of us the two best gifts we can ever get: a life to live and the love to live it with. Let’s not waste them. Let’s not put them on a shelf and ignore them. Let’s use them instead. Let’s fill each of our birthdays and all the days in between with loving others, helping others, giving to others, teaching others, and sharing joy with others. Let’s truly enjoy these gifts God gives us from our first breath until our last sigh.

.....Joseph J. Mazzella (joemazzella@frontier.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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