Subject: The Butterfly
===================
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.  One day a small opening
appeared.  He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if
it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly.  He took a pair of
scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily.  But it had a swollen body
and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the
butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings
would enlarge and expand to be able to  support  the body,
which would contract in time. Neither happened!  In fact, the
butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a
swollen body and shriveled wings.  It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand
was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for
the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way
of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings
so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom
from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles,
it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could
have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity........
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors.........
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........
I received everything I needed!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A SURVIVAL KIT FOR EVERY DAY LIVING
====================================
 Items Needed :

 Toothpick
 Rubber Band
 Band Aid
 Pencil Eraser
 Chewing Gum
 Mint
 Candy Kiss
 Tea Bag

 Why???

1) TOOTHPICK - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.

2) RUBBER BAND - to remind you to be flexible; things might not always
    go the way you want, but it will work out.

3) BAND AID - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's.

4) PENCIL - to remind you to list your blessings everyday.

5) ERASER - To remind you that everyone makes mistakes and that's OK.

6) CHEWING GUM - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish
    anything.

7) MINT - to remind you that you are worth a mint.

8) CANDY KISS - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug
    everyday.

9) TEA BAG - to remind you to relax daily and reflect on all the positive
    things in your life.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things to be Thankful for...
=======================
We tend to take so many things in Life negatively or for granted,
when there is much to be thankful for...

....The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
....The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.
....The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
....My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
....A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning
    and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
....All the complaining I hear about our government because
    it means we have freedom of speech.
....The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because
    it means I am capable of walking.
....My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
....The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
....The piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
....Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.
....The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

......................................................................................................................................................................

 A Tale of Two Cookies
====================
 A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
 With several long hours before her flight
 She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
 Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

 She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
 That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
 Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
 Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

 So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
 As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
 She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
 Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

 With each cookie she took, he took one too,
 When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
 With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
 He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

 He offered her half, as he ate the other,
 She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
 This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
 Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

 She had never known when she had been so galled,
 And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
 She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
 Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

 She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
 Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
 As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
 There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

 If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
 The others were his, and he tried to share.
 Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
 That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

 How many times in our lives, have we absolutely known
 that something was a certain way, only to discover later
 that what we believed to be true ... was not??

 .................................................................................................

 An Angel Once Wrote...
 ====================
 Many people will walk in and out or your life,
 but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

 To handle yourself, use your head,
 To handle others, use your heart.

 Anger is only one letter short of danger.

 If someone betrays you once, it's his fault.
 If he betrays you twice, it's your fault.

 Great minds discuss ideas;
 Average minds discuss events;
 Small minds discuss people.

 God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into it's nest.

 He who loses money, loses much;
 He who loses a friend, loses more;
 He who loses faith, loses all.

 Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
 but beautiful old people are works of art.

 Learn from the mistakes of others.
 You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

 The tongue weighs practically nothing, but so few people can hold it.

 Friends, you and me..you brought another friend...and then there were
 3....we started our group.....Our circle of friends......and like that circle
 ......there is no beginning........there is no end.

 .......................................................................................................................

 Attitude is Everything
 ===================
  READ THIS.  LET IT REALLY SINK IN. THEN CHOOSE
  HOW YOU START YOUR DAY TOMORROW...AND IF
  YOU FIND ANY MICHAEL'S AROUND HIRE THEM.

  Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a
  good mood and always has something positive to say.

  When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply,
  "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

  He was a natural motivator.  If an employee was having a bad day,
  Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive
  side of the situation.  Seeing this style really made me curious, so
  one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it!  You
  can't be a positive person all of the time.  How do you do it?" Michael
  replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike, you have
  two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can
  choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time
  something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to
  learn from it.  I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to
  me complaining, I can choose to accept their  complaining or I can point
  out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

  "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.  "Yes, it is," Michael said.
  "Life is all about choices.  When you cut away all the junk, every
  situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You
  choose how people will affect your mood.  You choose to be in a good
  mood or bad mood.  The bottom line:  It's your choice how you live life."

  I reflected on what Michael said.  Soon thereafter, I left the Tower
  Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought
  about him  when  I  made a choice life instead of reacting to it.

  Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious
  accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.  After
  18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released
  from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

  When I saw Michael about six months after the accident I asked him
  how he was doing.  He replied.  "If I were any better, I'd be twins.
  Wanna see my scars?"  I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him
  what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first
  thing that went through my mind was the well- being of my soon to be
  born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I
  remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could
  choose to die.  I chose to live."

  "Weren't you scared?  Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael
  continued, "...the paramedics were great.  They kept telling me I was
  going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the
  expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.
  In their eyes, I read "he's a dead man",  I knew I needed to take action."
  "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting
  questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.
  "Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited
  for my reply.  I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity."

  Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on
  me as if I am alive, not dead".  Michael lived, thanks to the skill of
  his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from
  him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

  ATTITUDE, AFTER ALL, IS EVERYTHING.

 ..........................................................................................................................

 "BUTTERFLY KISSES"
 ====================
 We often learn the most from our children...

 Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for
 wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became
 infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

 Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next
 morning and said,  "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by
 his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found
 that the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you
 give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside of it?"

 The Little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh,
 Daddy it's not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

 The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he
 begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box
 by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out
 an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

 In a very real sense, each of us as humans has been given a gold container
 filled with unconditional love and kisses from a child. There is no more
 precious possession anyone could hold.

 ............................................................................................................................

 Interview with with God
 ====================
 With my newly acquired title as a journalist,  I decided
  to strike a high note.

 "Come in," God said to me, "so, you would like to interview Me?"

 "If you have the time," I said.

 He smiled and said: "My time is called eternity and is enough to
 do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

 "None that are new to you. What's the one thing that surprises
 you most about mankind?"

 He answered: "That they get bored of being children,  are in a rush
 to grow up, and then long to be children again.

 That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money
 to restore their health.

 That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present,
 such that they live neither for the present nor the future.

 That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had
 never lived..."

 His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said,
 "May I ask you another question?"

 He replied with a smile.

 "As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"

 "To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is
 to let themselves be loved.

 To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it.

  To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives,
  but who they have in their lives.

 To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. There will be
 others better or worse than they are.

 To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who
 needs the least.

 To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes
 will control them.

 To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in
 persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

 To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

 To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know
 how to show their feelings.

 To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

 To learn that while at times they may be entitled to be upset, that does not give
 them the right to upset those around them.

 To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.

 To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.

 To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they forgive
 themselves.

 To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.

 To learn that they shall reap what they plant; if they plant gossip they will harvest intrigues,
 if they plant love they will harvest happiness.

 To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with
 what they have already achieved.

 To learn that happiness is a decision. They decide to be happy with what they are and have,
 or die from envy and jealousy of what they lack.

 To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

 To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences
 go far in life.

 To learn that even though they may think they have nothing to give, when a friend cries
 with them, they find the strength to appease the pain.

 To learn that by trying to hold on to loved ones, they very quickly push them away;
 and by letting go of those they love, they will be side by side forever.

 .........................................................................................................................................................

 I've Learned....
 ============
 I've learned-  that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

 I've learned-
 that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the
 passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

 I've learned-
 that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will
 be the ones to help you get back up.

 I've learned-
 that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
 Same goes for true love.

 I've learned-
 that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't
 mean they don't love you with all they have.

 I've learned-
 that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and
 what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays
 you've celebrated.

 I've learned-
 that some members of your family may not always be there for you.
 It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you
 and love you and teach you to trust people again.
 Families aren't biological.

 I've learned-
 that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once
 in a while and you must forgive them for that.

 I've learned-
 that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your
  grief.

 I've learned-
 that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
 but we are responsible for who we become.

 I've learned-
 that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other
 and just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

 I've learned-
 that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.  It could change your
 life forever.

 I've learned-
 that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally
 different.

 I've learned-
 that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually
 get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

 I've learned-
 that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even
 know you.

 I've learned-
 that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out
 to you, you will find the strength to help.

 I've learned-
 that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

 I've learned-
 that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

 ...............................................................................................................................

  PARADOXIES OF OUR TIMES
  =========================

  We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers.

  Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

  We spend more, but have less.

  We buy more,  but enjoy it less.

  We have bigger houses and smaller families.

  More conveniences, but less time.

  We have more degrees, but less common sense.

  More  knowledge, but Less judgment.

  More experts, but more problems.

  More  medicine, but less wellness.

  We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast,
  get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired,
  read too  seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

  We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

  We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.

  We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

  We've added years to life, not life to years.

  We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble
  crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.

  We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger
  things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted
  the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more,
  but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

  We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes;
  but lower morals; more food but less appeasement; more acquaintances,
  but fewer friends; more effort but less success.

  We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more
  copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on
  quantity, but short on quality.

  These are the time of fast foods and slow digestion;
  Tall men and short character; Steep profits, and shallow relationships.

  These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
  more  leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

  These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
  of fancier houses, but broken homes.

  These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality,
  one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything
  from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

  It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in  the stockroom.

 ..........................................................................................................................................

  Quotes
  =======

 * Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today.

 * Promise only what you can deliver.  Then deliver more than you promised.

 * Praise is satisfying to receive, but it never teaches you anything new.

 * Don't be afraid to go out on a limb.  That is where the fruit is.

 * You can consider yourself a good manager when you get superior work from
   average people.

 * It is my observation that too many of us are spending money that we haven't
   earned to buy things we don't need to impress people we don't like.

 * Everyone you meet knows something you don't know but need to know.
   Learn from them.

 * You'll learn more about a road by traveling it than by consulting all the maps
    in the world.

 * To change everything, simply change your attitude.

 * Almost all our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves with others.

 ..................................................................................................................................

     RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS
     ===================
    1 cup of consideration
    1/2 cup of courtesy
    2 cups flattery, carefully concealed
    1 gallon of faith in God
    1 generous dash of cooperation
    3 tsp. pure extract of "I'm sorry"
    6 tablespoons of contentment
    1 cup each of confidence and encouragement
    1 quart blindness to the other's faults
    Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy
    memories. Stir well and remove any sparks of jealousy, temper
    or  criticism. Sweeten well with generous portions of love and
    keep warm with a steady flame of devotion.

  ............................................................................................................

Remember when...
================
  A computer was something on TV...
  from a science fiction show of note...
  a window was something you hated to clean...
  and ram was the male goat...

  Meg was the name of my girlfriend...
  and gig was a job for the nights...
  Now they all mean different things
  and that really mega bytes...

  An application was for employment...
  a program was a TV show...
  cursor used profanity...
  keyboard was a piano...

  Memory was something that you lost with age...
  a CD was a bank account...
  and if you had a 3 1/2" floppy
  you hoped nobody found out...

  Compress was something you did to the garbage...
  not something you did to a file...
  and if you unzipped anything in public
  you'd be in jail for a while...

  Log on was adding wood to the fire...
  hard drive was a long trip on the road...
  a mouse pad was where a mouse lived...
  and a backup happened to your commode...

  Cut you did with a pocket knife...
  paste you did with glue...
  a web was a spider's home...
  and a virus was the flu...

  I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper
  and the memory in my head...
  I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash...
  but when it happens they wish they were dead!

 ..........................................................................................

 JUDGE ME BY THE FOOTPRINTS I LEAVE BEHIND
============================================
 A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after
 having fought in Vietnam.  He called his parents from San Francisco.
 "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask.  I have a
 friend I'd like to bring home with me."

 "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

 "There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt
 pretty badly in the fighting.  He stepped on a land mind and lost an
 arm and a leg.  He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live
 with us."

 "I'm sorry to hear that, son.  Maybe we can help him find somewhere
 to live."

 "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

 "Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking.  Someone
 with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us.  We have our
 own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our
 lives.  I think you should just come home and forget about this guy.
 He'll find a way to live on his own."

 At that point, the son hung up the phone.  The parents heard nothing
 more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the
 San Francisco police.  Their son had died after falling from a building,
 they were told. The police believed it was suicide.  The grief-stricken
 parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to
 identify the body of their son.

 They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something
 they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

 The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love
 those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like
 people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would
 rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart
 as we are.

 Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who
 loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever
 family, regardless of how messed up we are.

 Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer
 that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they
 are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different
 from us!!!

 .......................................................................................................................

The Chair
========
    A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her
    father.

    When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head
    propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed.  The pastor
    assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.

    "I guess you were expecting me," he said.
    "No, who are you?"
    "I'm the new associate at your local church," the pastor replied. "When
    I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."
    "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.  "Would you mind closing
    the door?"  Puzzled, the pastor shut the door.
    "I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But
    all my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the
    pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head."  "I
    abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day
    about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a
    simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest.
    Sit down on a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith
    see Jesus on the chair.

    It's not spooky because he promised; I'll be with you always.  Then just
    speak to Him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."
    "So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of times
    every day.  I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an
    empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the
    funny farm." The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the
    old guy to continue on the journey.  Then he prayed with him, and
    returned to the church.

    Two nights later, the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy
    had died that afternoon.  "Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked. "Yes,
    when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his
    bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek.
    When I got  back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.  But
    there was  something strange, in fact, beyond strange-kinda weird.
    Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head
    on a chair beside the bed."

   ...........................................................................................................................

  The Fence
  =========
  There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.
  His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that
  every time he lost his temper he must hammer a nail
  into the back of the fence.

  The first day the boy had driven 37nails into the fence.
  Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his
  anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually
  dwindled down.

  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to
  drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came
  when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

  He told his father about it and the father suggested that
  the boynow pull out one nail for each day that he was
  able to hold his temper.

  The days passed and the young boy was finally able to
  tell his father that all the nails were gone.

  The father took his son by the hand and led him to the
  fence.

  He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the
  holes in the fence.  The fence will never be the same.
  When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like
  this one. You can put a knife  in a man and draw it out.
  It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the
  wound is still there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a
  physical one."

 .................................................................................................

The Plan
========
   In the beginning there was the Plan......

   And then came the Assumptions. And the Assumptions were without form.
   And the Plan was without substance. And darkness was upon the face of the
   Workers.

   And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of shit, and it stinks."
   And the Workers went unto their Supervisors and said, "It is a pail of dung,
   and we can't live with the smell."

   And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying, "It is a  container of
   excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it.

   And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, "It is a vessel of
   fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."

   And the Directors spoke among themselves, saying to one another, "It  contains
   that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

   And the Directors went to the Vice Presidents, saying unto them, "It promotes
   growth, and it is very powerful."

   And the Vice Presidents went to the President, saying unto him, "This new plan
   will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company with very powerful effects."

   And the President looked upon the Plan and saw that it was good.

   And the Plan became Policy.

   And THIS is how shit happens!

 .................................................................................................................................................

 THE POWER OF WORDS
 =====================
 A group of frogs were travelling 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 their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that 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 other 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.
 When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog
 explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him
 the entire time.

 This story teaches two lessons:
 1.)  There is 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

 2.)  A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

 Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
 The power of words ... it is sometimes hard to understand that an
 ENCOURAGING word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak
 words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
 Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

 .......................................................................................................................................

Time Management
================
 A while back I was reading about an expert on the subject of time management.
 One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive
 home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.

 As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he
 said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed
 Mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen
 fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the
 jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this
 jar full?"

 Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?"  He reached under
 the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.  Then he dumped some gravel in
 and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the
 spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

 By this time the class was onto him.  "Probably not," one of them answered.
 "Good!" he replied.

 He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started
 dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks
 and the gravel.  Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

 "No!"  The class shouted.  Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a
 pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
 Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

 One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full
 your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things
 into it!"

 "No", the speaker replied, "that's not the point.  The truth this illustration
 teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in
 at all."

 What are the 'big rocks' in your life?
 A project that YOU want to accomplish?
 Time with your loved ones?
 Your faith, your education?  A cause?
 Teaching or mentoring others?

 Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.

 So, when you are reflecting on this short  story, ask yourself this question:
 What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

 ................................................................................................................................

 The Bank Account
 ================
 Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with
 86,400 seconds.

 It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes
 whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

 What would you do? Draw out every cent? of course....

 Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits
 you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of
 this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance.

 It allows no overdraft.

 Each day it opens a new account for you.
 Each night it burns the remains of the day.

 If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no
 going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow. You must live
 in the present on today's deposits.

 Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and
 success. The clock is running. Make the most of today.

 To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

 To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a
 premature baby.

 To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

 To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

 To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

 To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an
 accident.

 To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a
 silver medal in the Olympics.

 Treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you
 shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.

 And remember that time waits for no one!

 Yesterday is History.

 Tomorrow is Mystery.

 Today is a Gift.

 That's why it's called the Present.

..............................................................................................................................

 WEALTH, SUCCESS AND LOVE
============================
 A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long gray
 beards sitting in her front yard.  She did not recognize any of them,
 so she said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please
 come in and have something to eat." Is your family home?", they asked.
 No", she said. "They are all out."  Then we cannot come in," they replied.

 In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
 happened. "Well, ...," he said, "go tell them I am home and invite them
 in now."

 The woman went out again to invite the men in. But one of them replied.
 "We don't necessarily go into a house together". Why is that?", she wanted
 to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is 'Wealth' ...", he said,
 pointing to one of his companions ... and pointing to the other one, he said"
 ... he is 'Success' ...and I am 'Love'." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss
 with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

 The woman went in and told her husband what was said. He was overjoyed.
 "How nice!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth ... let him
 come and fill our home with wealth".  But his wife disagreed ... "My dear,
 why don't we invite Success ... with success we can always expect wealth to
 come along later."?

 Their daughter, who had been listening from another room had another
 suggestion ... "Would it not be better to invite Love ... so our home will be
 filled with love?"  "Good point", the husband conceded. "Well, then, go out
 and invite Love to be our guest."  The woman went out and asked the 3 old
 men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."

 Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up
 and followed him.  Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited
 Love ... why are you coming in?"  The old men replied together: "We are blind.
 Therefore, we depend upon Love to guide us. If you had invited Wealth or Success,
 one would still have to depend upon Love, and the other would have become lost
 trying to follow you. So, in order to survive, wherever Love goes, we go with him.
 "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"

 The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two
 of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go
 with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!"

 ........................................................................................................................................