My Genetic Miracle

I’d start to fall asleep and the monitors would wake me with what seemed like never-ending beeps, telling me that my soon-to-be newborn’s heartbeat was decelerating. I was told that I was only being kept for observation and that I had no reason to worry. As I fell in and out of sleep, I was constantly being reminded of where I was and why I was there—from the belts digging into my abnormally large stomach to the antiseptic smell that loomed all around me.
The next morning, the doctor came to check on me. He explained that he’d induce my labor early. He assured me that “the baby will have a better chance of survival if we take him now.” I just kept repeating, “Survival? What are you saying?” My heart started pounding incredibly hard, my mind raced, and my entire body trembled with fear.
Six hours after the doctor started the drug to induce my labor, it was time to deliver my baby. I was rushed to the delivery room with pain and fear battling against each other. The pain was so great that I’d pass out and when I came to, only seconds had gone by. My body shook involuntarily from head to toe. Why I was so frightened still baffles me now. I’d done it twice before, so I knew what I was doing. I knew that in only minutes I’d be holding my third of God’s blessings, and I did just that. They let me hold him for a minute, all bundled up and beautiful. I could see his long, sparse lashes in the corners of his eyes, even though they were closed. His cheeks were so plump and pink, and his little bow tie lips were pursed. He was every mother’s dream. Then they swooped him off to the nursery. The hard part is over, or so I thought, and I fell into an exhausted sleep.
A pediatrician came in a while later to discuss my son’s exam. I could tell by the look on her face that something was wrong. She wanted him transferred to Children’s Hospital because they have specialists there to deal with newborns like my son. The rest of the discussion—“dysmorphic features,” “deformed feet,” and “hernias” was a blur.
Four hours after I gave birth we arrived at the hospital, where I was hopeful to receive some answers. Day after day and test after test I waited. A genetics specialist finally broke the news to me. She told me that my son has a chromosome deletion, a genetic disorder that is too rare to have a name. My first thought was: Did I do this? I didn’t take my vitamins the first few months because they made me sick. Several times I forgot to drink my morning orange juice. I wondered about the cold medicine I took. Why wasn’t I more careful? The geneticist apparently could tell what I was thinking, and she explained that it occurs in one out of three pregnancies. Only one out of ten thousand babies live to be born. So the simple fact that I was holding my son was truly one of God’s miracles.
The day finally came when my son was healthy enough to go home. I went through CPR, heart monitor, and car seat classes before we were released. I’d anticipated this moment from the day he was born, but it wasn’t like I expected. We were home but a few hours before I was ready to bring him back to the hospital. The heart monitor constantly sounded, his feedings were slow and tedious, and I felt that at any moment he could go into arrest and I wasn’t going to be prepared. I felt like a first-time mother, constantly worrying about every detail of his well being.
We’ve been home now for about four months and my son is just as wonderful as I ever hoped. I continue to do research on his specific chromosome deletion, and I am learning more than I ever wanted to know about genetic disorders. Sometimes I watch other parents and hope that they cherish and appreciate every milestone their child achieves. My son may never reach them. He will, however, reach his own milestones at his own pace and for that, I am grateful. When he does something as simple as a new smile or makes eye contact, my heart leaps with joy and swells with pride for his accomplishments. There are few precious gifts in the world and they should never be taken for granted.

Life’s many choices!

Life have many choices,the choices we make determine who we are.It is always good to leave our life by choice and not by chance.Each person creates their life experience through the choices they make every day and are therefore responsible for the satisfaction or lack of it that they're getting out of life. Here is a list to keep.

The most destructive habit..............................
Worry
The greatest Joy.............................................
Giving
The greatest loss......................
Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work....................
Helping others
The ugliest personality trait....................
Selfishness
The most endangered species........
Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource....................
Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"...........
Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome......................
Fear
The most effective sleeping pill.........
Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease................
Excuses
The most powerful force in life..........................
Love
The most dangerous pariah......................
A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer.......
The brain
The worst thing to be without.........................
Hope
The deadliest weapon.............................
The tongue
The two most power-filled words.................
"I Can"
The greatest asset.........................................
Faith
The most worthless emotion......................
Self-pity
The most beautiful attire................................
SMILE!
The most prized possession.......................
Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication.......
Prayer
The most contagious spirit....................
Enthusiasm

To the WORLD, YOU may be ONE person;but to ONE person, YOU may be the WORLD!

Life has many choices . . . and Eternity has two"

A life without purpose is a languid, drifting thing; Every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves: This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught!

****Thomas A. Kempis

THE POWER OF PRAYER

A poorly dressed woman with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store.She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.
The grocer scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.
Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can."
Grocer told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.
Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?"
The woman replied, "Yes sir." "O.K" he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries."
She hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.
The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down.
The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."
The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:

"Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands."

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence
The woman thanked him and left the store.The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said;
"It was worth every penny of it .. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs."

THE POWER OF PRAYER: After reading this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do.
Just stop right now, and say a prayer of thanks for your own good fortune.Then please e-mail this to all your friends and relatives.
I believe if you will send this testimony out with prayer in faith, you will receive what you need God to do in your and your families' life.
So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. Amen & Amen
Don't break this, please!Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards.

May you always walk with Angels.

Remain Bless.

Man Gave Up his Son's Life To Save His Son's Friend.

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. in the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak."A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, "i love you, son!" he threw out the lifeline to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night . . . his body was never recovered.

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of god that he should do the same for us. Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. i urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service.". . . With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story,” politely stated one of the boys, "but i don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian.""Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "it sure isn't very realistic, is it? But, I’m standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for god to give up his son for me. You see --- I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

Remember John 3:16,

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life

Understanding Each Other

A man is a person who, if a woman says, “Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” lets her.
A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, “Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her, gets mad.
A man is a person who, if a woman says to him, “Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her and she gets mad, says, “Now what are you mad about'
A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, “Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her, and she gets mad, and he says, “Now what are you mad about?” says, “If you don’t know I’m not going to tell you.”

A Miracle For Mom

In January of 1998, three weeks after my nephew was born, my grandfather died in his bed. A few weeks after the funeral, my mother decided to go back to work. Everything seemed to be going okay and getting back to normal. Then there was a grease fire in our kitchen that destroyed the stove, the walls, and the cabinets. Soon after the fire, my mother started getting notices from the city about the condition of our home, which had officially become my mother’s property. In order to keep from having to pay outrageous fines, my mother took out a mortgage loan on our home so that it could be remodeled, inside and out. When it was done, things appeared to be going well. Our home was beautifully redone and it felt good just to come home from school like I did every day of my life.
Then in early 1999 my mother was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. Around the same time, she started getting letters from a ministry, claiming that they had visions of her and that Jesus sent them to help her. My mother didn’t pay much attention to the letters and usually discarded them. However, the letters kept coming seemingly every week.
But then in the summer of that same year, we found out that we were being evicted from our home. Unable to work because of her kidney failure, my mother fell behind on the mortgage payments. The same week we were notified about our eviction, another letter arrived from the ministry. This one, my mother decided to keep. She read the letter, followed the instructions, and sent a small donation. I guess she figured that it couldn’t make matters any worse.
A couple of weeks passed and we spent most of that time looking for an apartment, but most places wanted more than we could afford for a security deposit. Facing homelessness, my mother made plans to put our things in storage until we could find a place to live.
The day before our last day in our home, and while my mother was in the hospital with the first complications of her illness, we received a check in the mail for over three thousand dollars. It was enough for a security deposit and a couple months’ rent on a two-bedroom apartment in the same quiet neighborhood I grew up in. My mother still gets letters from that mysterious ministry and sends donations whenever possible. However, to this very day almost six years later, we still don’t know where the check came from, much less from whom.

Two Brothers

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart.
It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"
"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber over by the barn? I want you to build me a fence --an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow."
The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."
The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence at all. It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."
The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.
"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have so many more bridges to build."

Are there any bridges you need to build this month?

The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.
***Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Bad ways to do a good thing.

Getting rid of mice; that's a good thing. Shooting up the house to get rid of them; that's a bad thing. But then, there are lots of bad ways to do good things. In fact, the Bible is full of examples from Moses killing an Egyptian to help free his people from slavery to Abraham trying to fulfil God's promise of a son by having a baby through his wife's servant.

There's a particularly haunting story about bad ways to do a good thing in our word for today from the Word of God. It's haunting because it exposes some of the most common mistakes we make in trying to get what we believe to be a good result. Just before Rebecca has her twin boys, Jacob and Esau, God promises her that, contrary to what usually happened in a Jewish family, "the older will serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23). Jacob, the second-born, will receive the blessing that she would expect Esau, the firstborn, to get.

But now father Isaac, who gives that blessing, is nearly blind and he appears to be dying. It looks as if Esau's going to get the blessing. In Genesis 26, beginning with verse 14, Rebecca schemes to pass off smooth-skinned Jacob as Esau the hairy outdoors man. The Bible says, "Rebecca took the best clothes of Esau ... and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands ... with the goatskins." She also gave Jacob his father's favourite meal to deliver. When Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob replied, "I am." And it worked! Jacob got the blessing. That's a good thing - the thing God promised. But it was done through manipulation and deception.

Here's the sobering question for you and me: do I sometimes manipulate people and situations to help a good thing happen? The first syllable of manipulation tells the whole ugly story - man. I can't wait for God to do it His way. Human manipulation aborts the perfect processes of God. And it almost always demands some sacrifice of the truth; making things sound or look different than they really are.

Isaac didn't die, it turns out, for many more years. Rebecca's’s scheme ripped her family apart and made one brother ready to kill the other. Her favourite son, Jacob, had to leave for twenty years, during which he was repeatedly deceived and manipulated. And Rebecca never sees her precious son again. There's such a high price when you use a bad way to do a good thing! You may get what you want, but you'll lose more than you could ever imagine. Just ask Rebecca.

Christian writer, Warren Wiersbe, has an awesome insight on all this. He says, "Faith is the absence of scheming." Here's the equation you can't afford to forget: a good thing + a bad way of getting it = a price too high to pay.

Punctuation

An English professor wrote the words “Woman without her man is a savage” on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly.

The men wrote: “Woman, without her man, is a savage.”

The women wrote: “Woman! Without her, man is a savage.”

Helpful Hints for Husband.

Some helpful hints for a husband who wants to see his spouse experience God’s best .

A husband can

1. Back off (give her some space).

2. Be patient (don’t rush things).

3. Love her as you love your own body (that’s going to take some work).

4. Affirm her role in the family (whether she stays home or works outside the home, she’s got the most important job in the world).

5. Pray for her as you’ve never prayed before (because God hears our prayers).

6. Lower your expectations (you’re not going to see fireworks every night).

7. Do the little things (without expecting anything in return).

8. Show her she’s the most cherished woman on earth (she’ll probably faint the first time you do this).

9. Above all, persevere (you’re in this for the long haul).

10. A wise husband builds his mate’s self-esteem, realizing that the subtle words and actions of a sinful world constantly assault her sense of self-worth. He remains sensitive to her needs and is always ready to offer his support.

11. Encourage your wife verbally and demonstratively. Words of cheer and praise are high octane fuel that boost your wife’s emotional fuel tanks.

Whistle To Warn Him

Jones was sitting with his wife behind a palm on a hotel veranda late one night when a young man and girl came and sat down on a bench near them. Hidden behind the palm, Mrs. Jones whispered to her husband, “Oh, John, he doesn’t know we’re here and he’s going to propose to her. Whistle to warn him.”
“What for?” said Jones, “Nobody whistled to warn me.”

Guest of Bride or Groom'

My friend’s son, Kelly, seemed young to be an usher at a wedding, but he was quickly coached in wedding protocol. A veteran usher instructed Kelly to ask the person he was escorting, “Are you a guest of the bride or groom?” to know where to seat them.
Imagine our surprise when we heard Kelly ask, as he graciously offered his arm to the first arrival, “Madam, whose side are you on?”

Marriage License: A Learner’s Permit

“It’s a wise groom who has to be dragged to the altar. He knows what love is. It’s death. If lovers don’t know this, they are headed for trouble. Never will you have your way again. You can’t be happy if this other person isn’t. No matter who wins the argument, you lose. Always. The sooner you learn this the better off you will be.
Love is an exercise in frustration. You leave the window up when you want it down. You watch someone else’s favorite TV program. You kiss when you have a headache. You turn the music down when you like it loud. You learn to be patient without sighing or sulking.
Love’s doing things for the other person. In marriage two become one but the one isn’t you. It’s the other person. You love this person more than you love yourself. This means that you love this person as she or he is. Acceptance. We ask ourselves frankly what that impulse is that makes us want to redesign a person. It isn’t love. We want the other person to be normal like us. But is that loving the other person or ourselves? Love brings out the best in people. They can be themselves without artificiality. People who know they are loved glow with beauty and charm.
Let this person talk. Create the assurance that any idea, any suggestion, any feeling can be expressed and will be respected. Allow the other person to star once in a while. A wife’s joke doesn’t have to be topped. Don’t interrupt your husband in the middle of his story. Cultivate kind ways of speaking. It can be as simple as asking them instead of telling them to do things. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Married life is full of crazy mirrors to see ourselves. How stubborn, how immature we really are. You may be waiting for your wife to finish because you never lift a finger to help her.
Love is funny. Its growth doesn’t depend on what someone does for you. It’s in direct property to what you do for him or her.

The country is swarming with people who have never learned this. So are divorce courts.

The Duration of Life

Arguing against God is arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.

****C.S. Lewis

God originally determined 30 years as the ideal span of life for all animals, including mankind. The donkey, the dog, and the monkey considered it much too long, however, and begged God to reduce their years by 18, 12, and 10. Being healthy, vigorous, and somewhat greedy, the man asked to be given those extra years.
God agreed, so man’s years totaled 70. The first 30 are his own and they pass quickly. The next 18 are the “donkey years,” during which he has to carry countless burdens on his back. Then come the “dog years”…12 years when he can do little but grow and drag himself along. This is followed by the “monkey years,” his closing 10, when he grows rather strange and does things that make children laugh at him.

It’s What You Do—Not When You Do It

No one will improve your lot If you yourself do not.

****Bertolt Brecht, 1933

If;

• Ted Williams, at age 42, could slammed a home run in his last official time at bat.
• Mickey Mantle, age 20,could hit 23 home runs his first full year in the major leagues.
• Golda Meir at 71 could become the Prime Minister of Israel.
• William Pitt II at 24 became Prime minister of Great Britain.
• George Bernard Shaw at 94 produced his first play.
• Mozart's first composition was published at age seven.
• Benjamin Franklin was a newspaper columnist at 16 and a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.

Then you’re never too young or too old if you’ve got talent.

Recognize that age has little to do with ability.

Four wives.

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighbouring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times. The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone." Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart. The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to the grave. Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go.

Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day:
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.

If you could choose - the life you live

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

**** Robert Frost (1875-1963) American Poet


If you could choose the life you live, how would it be? If you could choose your surroundings, what would they look like?
If you could choose the people with whom you associate, who would they be? If you could choose your activities, what would you be doing?
If you could choose your thoughts, what would you think? If you could choose your feelings, how would you feel?
If you could choose your priorities, what would they be? If you could choose to commit your time, your energy and your skills to something, what would it be?
If you could choose how to spend the next moment, what would you do with it? What would you do if you knew that all your choices, in each moment, in each circumstance, would mold and shape the life you live?
The good news is, you can choose, now and in every moment to come, and those choices add up to the life you live.

So remember each time to choose the best.

Transformation - Turn In Your Favor

There are many things that can hold you back. Yet there's always a way to turn them around, into forces that move you forward.
If you ever find yourself feeling envious, take that envy and turn it into inspiration. The envy will do nothing for you, but the inspiration can make an enormous positive difference.
When despair comes upon you, transform it into strength. When you've experienced a defeat, redirect its energy into commitment.
Take the pain of humiliation and let it spur you to build a real, lasting confidence. When you've experienced disappointment, turn it into wisdom.
Transform your most irritating frustrations into rock solid discipline. Change your negative anger into positive determination.
There's never any need to be tossed around by the fickle winds of fate. For you can take what life gives you, and turn it in your favor.
****Ralph Marston
http://team-bannronn.biz

A Mother's Tale

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.

****Jewish proverb

Three sons left home, started careers and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts that they were able to give their elderly mother for her seventieth birthday. The first said, "I built a big house for Mom."The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."The third smiled and said, "I've got you both beat. You know how Mom enjoys the Bible and you know she can't see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in a monastery 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

Soon thereafter, Mom sent out letters of thanks:

She wrote to the first son, "Milton, the house you built is not practical. I live in only one room, but I have to heat, cool, and clean the whole house."

She wrote to the second son, "Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!"

She wrote the third son, "Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."