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An Everyday Survival Kit Toothpick Rubber band Band aid Pencil Eraser Chewing gum Mint Candy Kiss Tea Bag Here's why: Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others...Matt 7:1 Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out...Romans 8:28 Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's...Col. 3:12-14 Pencil - To remind you to list your blessings everyday...Eph1:3 Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay...Gen. 50:15-21 Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything ...Phil 4:13 Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly father...John 3:16-17 Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday...1 John 4:7 Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings...1 Thess 5:18 This is my gift to you. May God richly bless you. To the world, you may just be somebody...but to somebody, you may be the world. Send this to anyone who you think needs to know that they are loved by someone in their lives. Make someone's day just a little brighter today! Read it when you're happy, and then read it again when you're sad. Heaven's Grocery Store I was walking down life's highway a long time ago. One day I saw a sign that read, "HEAVEN'S GROCERY STORE". As I got a little closer, the door opened wide, and then I found myself standing inside. I saw a host of ANGELS. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My Child, shop with care". Everything a human needed was in that grocery store. And if you couldn't carry all, you could come back the next day for more. First, I got some PATIENCE. LOVE was in the same row. Further down was UNDERSTANDING; you need that everywhere you go. I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. I just couldn't miss the HOLY GHOST, for it was all over the place. I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE TO HELP ME RUN THIS RACE. By then my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed some GRACE. I didn't forget SALVATION, for SALVATION was free. So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill. For I thought I had everything to do the MASTER'S will. As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER; and I just had to put that in, for I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin. PEACE and JOY were plentiful; they were last on the shelf. SONG and PRAISE were hanging near, so I just helped myself. Then I said to the angel, "Now, how much do I owe?" He smiled again and said, "MY CHILD, GOD PAID YOUR BILL A LONG, LONG TIME AGO." This notice has been sent to you for a blessing. The original is from the Netherlands. It has been around the world 9 times. This blessing has now been brought to you. DO NOT SEND MONEY for it has no price on it. Do not keep this letter. It must leave your hands 90 hours after you receive it. Please send twenty copies of this letter and see what happens on the 6th day. This chain came from Venezuela and was written by Saul Anthony Lavoid, A Missionary from South America Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and a chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher. One day, she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Teresa's for a consultation. As the Forresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five-year gap between his age and that of the other students!" Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read or write. Why waste any more time trying? As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. "Oh God," she said aloud, "here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared with that poor family! Please help me to be more patient with Jeremy." From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him. "I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loudly enough for the whole class to hear. The other children snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-Why, that's very nice, Jeremy. Now please take your seat." Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?" "Yes, Miss Miller!" the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He just listened intently, his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them. That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents. The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their Math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arms. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes that is new life, too" Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that the moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom. "My Daddy helped me!" he beamed. Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy's, she thought, and, of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "but Jeremy - your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!" Time stopped. When she could speak again. Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then his Father raised him up!" The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away. Three months later Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31 POWER OF THE TONGUE A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit with all of their might. The group of frogs kept telling them to stop because they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The second frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. You see this frog was deaf, unable to hear what the others were saying. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time. This story teaches a lesson.... Proverbs 18:21 There is the power of life and death in the tongue. An Encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life those who cross your path. The power of words... an encouraging word can go such a long way. May your words be a blessing to someone today. |
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