Lightworker

MAN’S DESIRES
Author Unknown

A young man is getting ready to graduate from college. For many months
he had admired a beutiful sports car is a dealer’s showroom, and
knowing that his father could well afford it, he told him that was all
he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young awaited signs that his father
had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his
father called him into his private study. His father told him how
proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved
him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped box. Curious and somewhat
disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-
bound Bible, with the youngman’s name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose
his voice to his father and said “with all your money, you
give me a Bible? And stormed out of the house.”

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized that his
father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had
not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him
his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his
son. He needed to come home right away and take care of things. When he
arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his
heart.

He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the
still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father
carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, “And if ye, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your
Heavenly Father who is in Heaven, give to those who ask him?” As he
read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had
a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car
he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the
words PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God’s blessings because we can’t see past
our own desires?

Symptoms of Inner Peace

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fear based on past experiences

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

A loss of interest in judging other people

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others

A loss of interest in conflict

A loss of the ability to worry

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature

Frequent attacks of smiling

An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it

Less Is More

Here’s a unique story based on the thought that “Less Is More”. So often we feel like we have to explain, convince, argue, etc… when fewer words may be just what someone needs to hear. Someone once said that it is no coincidence that God gave us 2 ears, and only 1 mouth…

An insurance agent learned that he would receive his company’s award for having sold more life insurance than anyone else in the state. The big problem: He had to make a speech at the time he got the award. He was supposed to tell the other insurance agents how he did it. Joe had a phobia about public speaking, but he was still expected to give the speech.

So he went to work on this speech. He wrote it and rewrote it. Finally, he got it just right. He typed it up on cards and taped the cards on his shaving mirror. Every morning while he was shaving, he memorized that speech. Finally, Joe had it imprinted into the grooves of his brain cells like a laser disk. He was ready.

The great evening came. The huge auditorium was filled with insurance salespeople from all over the state. Then they called him forward to receive the award. Pressing a plaque into Joe’s hand, the president of the company patted him on the back and said, “Now, tell us, how did you do it?”

Joe turned to his great sea of eyes, waiting expectantly for him to say something profound. But he could not think of the first line. Groping for it, he said, “Ah, uh, ah…” He couldn’t remember the first line but he finally thought of a line from down in the middle. (If you are in that kind of situation, you are willing to start anyplace.) So he said, “Ah, uh - See the people….”

But Joe was so frightened that he couldn’t remember what came after that. So he started again, “Ah, ah - See the people, ah, uh. See the people!” And he sat down.

Most of the people in the auditorium thought Joe said exactly what he intended to say. They heard it as a dramatic speech and gave him a standing ovation.

Finding God Within and Without

How do I find You God?

God is Love.
If you have ever loved,
If you have ever been loved,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Truth.
If you have ever told the truth,
If you have ever discovered Truth,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Beauty.
If you have ever helped to create something beautiful,
If you have ever witnessed beauty in any of it’s myriad forms,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Good.
If you have ever done or thought something good,
If you have ever recognized goodness in or through another,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

All of those experiences, those gifts,
of Love, Truth, Beauty and Goodness
were directly from God through you… or to you.

Glad to Meet You God.

Author Unknown

A Gift That Anyone Can Give . . . A Smile

It costs nothing, but saves much.

It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich that he can get along without it; none so poor that he is not enriched by it.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sick, and Nature’s best antidote for trouble.

It cannot be bought, borrowed, or stolen, for it is no earthly good to anyone until it is given away.

If you meet someone too burdened with grief or worry to smile, just give him one of yours.

For nobody needs a smile so much as he who has none left to give.

[ Author unknown ]

I prayed to God this morning
That He might send me hope,
And then He sent His mighty Word
To give me strength to cope…

I prayed to God this morning
That He might send me joy,
And all around I heard the mirth
Of every girl and boy…

I prayed to God this morning
That He might send me love,
And suddenly I felt the warmth
of sunshine from above….

I prayed to God this morning
That He might send me peace,
And in the clamor of the day,
I felt a great release!

Hope C. Oberhelman

Who you are

Who do you think you are? Are you the problems you encountered yesterday, or are you the positive possibilities that exist today?

Are you the limitations that others have convinced you to adopt? Or are you the person who can work your way through whatever obstacles may confront you?

Are you the shortcomings and disappointments you’ve known? Or are you the most magnificent, most treasured dreams you can imagine?

Are you the empty, meaningless pursuits of the materialistic culture that surrounds you? Or are you the deeply held, lasting values you know to be truth?

Who you think you are can make all the difference, in this moment, in your life. Because who you think you are is who you constantly work to more fully become.

Who do you think you are? Choose right now to be the best you can imagine.

– Ralph Marston

– How Long Do We Have –
> What if God decided to give you just a sixty-second test … to see if You are ready for heaven, If He asked me, I would beg Him to give me more time. I have too many things to change about me before I can be tested to be heaven-worthy. Heaven is “forever” and I sure don’t want to miss out because I only had 60-seconds to shape up.
>
> But then, suppose God said “O.K. … I will give you a full week for me to test you for a week to see if you are worthy enough to enter heaven.” Yikes, I would say (that is not fair, I need more time to improve and be out of all my nasty habits). I need more time.
>
> O.K. God says … “O.K. … I will give you five-years to shape up and then I will test you to see if you are worth heaven after 5-years.” Would this be enough (five years to get ready)? Only God knows.
>
> God knows all things and He knows how much time (each one of us needs to “get ready”). He gives us each (enough time). We all have exactly enough time for our testing — He loves us that way.

LOOK ON THE SUNNY SIDE

There are always two sides the good and the bad,
The dark & the light, the sad & the glad.
But in looking back over the good & the bad,
We’re aware of the number of good things we’ve had,
And in counting our blessings, we find when we’er through,
We’ve no reason at all to complain or be blue.
So thank God for the good things He has already done,
And be grateful to Him for the battles you’ve won,
And know that the same God who helped you before,
Is ready & willing to help you once more.
Then with faith in your hearts, reach out for God’s Hand
and accept what He sends, though you can’t understand.
For our Father in Heaven always knows what is best,
And if you trust in His wisdom, your life will be blessed.
So always remember that whatever betide you,
You are never alone, for God is beside you.

Helen Steiner Rice

We honor the spirit in other people when we listen to them.

God’s messages surround us. The 24 hours before us are special, never to be repeated. The people we share the day with carry our lessons within their words and actions. Let’s be vigilant in our attempts to listen.

We have so much to learn, and that’s why we’re here. Our lives have purpose, even though we might fail to grasp it. Remembering that God is trying to reach us in even the most mundane of circumstances keeps us attentive to everyone in our lives. Our attention to others triggers their lessons too.

The cycle is never-ending. We are not here by accident - we are here by design. The role addiction plays in our lives is part of the design. We can learn our lessons and fulfill our purpose only by acknowledging the spirit, the presence of God, within each person God has ushered to us.

I will pay special attention to the people in my life today. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing they are part of God’s plan for me.

from:

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey