Post by Rhonda on Feb 6, 2009 5:37:44 GMT -5
ALIVE AND PRESENT
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of a childhood incident that
may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound
influence on the rest of his life. It happened when he was nine years
old. It was winter. Young Frank was walking across a snow-covered
field with his uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the
field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the
snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's
tracks meandering all over the field.
"Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle
to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks
aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."
Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this
experience had greatly contributed to his life's philosophy. "I
determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to
miss most things in life, as my uncle had."
He determined to be alive and present. To be fully aware and squeeze
as much life out of each moment as possible.
We will miss most things in life if we live in the past. Let us learn
from the past, but not live there.
We will miss most things in life if we live in the future. Let us plan
for the future, but not live there.
We will miss little if we live in the present. And we'll have more fun
along the way!
-- Steve Goodier
__________
__________
P.S. JUST WONDERIN'
What's another word for 'Thesaurus? -- Steven Wright
__________
ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO YOU
In West Virginia folklore there is a story of a country doctor
who was called out to a holler late one night to assist a woman
about to give birth. By the time the doctor arrived at the
farmhouse, things had progressed to a point where the doctor
asked the husband to help him by holding a gas lantern up
high in order to illuminate the makeshift delivery room.
Before long, the courageous mother delivered a healthy baby boy.
As the father lowered the lantern, the doctor barked an order to
keep the lantern aloft: "We're not done yet." Shortly, a second
child appeared on the scene, a healthy baby girl. Shaken by the
unexpected arrival of twins, the father heard the doctor say once
again, "We can't stop now. It looks as if it's going to be
triplets." To which the stunned father, still holding the lantern
high, replied, "Do you think it's the light that's attracting
them?"
Light has a quality of attraction. I recently left my office door
open late one afternoon in our mountain home and, at dusk, the
light from within attracted -- a hummingbird! (Coaxing a
hummingbird out of the house is a little like pushing a rope.
Mostly, whatever you do doesn't work.)
You, too, have a light that attracts...an inner light. Not
visible to the naked eye, but apparent just the same. We speak of
a "twinkle" in the eye or a "flicker" of warmth in the heart.
Some people shine with a light of kindness. Others emit a light
of hope. There are those who glow with enthusiasm and still
others who radiate love.
Almost all creatures are drawn to light, including humans. Do you
want to attract people to you? Positive and life-affirming inner
qualities can attract people like a warm fire on a cold night.
What will draw other people to you best cannot be purchased in
any department store. They will respond to that which radiates
from within.
You may not always see it, but your light is shining through. And
it's one of your most attractive qualities!
-- Steve Goodier
__________
P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
Life may have no meaning. Or even worse, it may have a meaning of
which I disapprove. -- Ashleigh Brilliant
AREN'T WE LUCKY?
by Claudia Chyle Smith
"Hi, Claudia, do you remember me? Sally Maklin? Actually,
Sally Maklin Davis now. I got your email address from Judy in
Wisconsin and since I'll be in D.C. next week visiting my daughter I
hope we might meet for lunch."
I studied the email and waited for a rush of recognition. Sally
Maklin, huh. Nothing stirred, no image formed, no memory rushed
forward.
"Wait, wasn't she that girl with the shiny brown pony tail and
freckles across her nose who came over after school to play in 5th
grade?" I wondered. Yes, that was Sally. She was a pistol. Oh my
gosh, I haven't thought of her or seen her in -- well, it's been a
long, long time.
My curiosity was piqued and I wrote back that our years at
McKinley Elementary school in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were distant
memories but I would enjoy meeting her for lunch and finding out more
about her life. And I was curious. Why would someone want to see me
again after such a long time?
We agreed on a restaurant in a mall half way between her
daughter's house and mine for the following Tuesday.
That morning, as I got dressed, it occurred to me that Sally
wouldn't still be the smooth-faced girl with freckles and a shiny
ponytail. Wondering how we'd recognize each other struck me as
slightly absurd. Is it possible to recollect a face not seen in more
than 45 years? I laughed out loud thinking about it.
Suddenly I felt a little nervous. What would we talk about?
What if she's strange? What if we have completely different opinions
about the world and have nothing to talk about?
I drove to the mall thinking I'd been impetuous in agreeing to
meet her. On one hand, I was flattered that someone from so far back
in my life had wanted to reconnect with me and on the other hand I
was wondering why.
Clustered around the hostess's station were pairs and foursomes
waiting to be seated, no singles.
And suddenly there she was -- a slender woman walking toward me,
arms outstretched, to share a big, warm hug. Sally's eyes made me
remember her in a flash. They danced like bright brown marbles in
her smooth face. She had an easy smile and a comfortable look about
her. It felt as if I'd known her forever.
Within minutes, we were eating our salads and picking up the
outlines of our lives as if we had simply stepped out of the room for
a minute and then returned. We talked about our families, her summer
home in Minnesota, our work, her husband's impending retirement and
our mutual friends in Wisconsin. Our conversation sailed on easily.
I relaxed and realized how good an old friendship can be.
"You know," she said leaning toward me, "the first time I ever
ate lamb was at your house and your mother served it with mint jelly.
She was really something and I learned a lot from her."
She knew my mother and father! She'd been to my house on 81st
Street. My mother had taught her things. How many people are left
on this earth who can say that? I was humbled by this thought and
overwhelmed with gratitude that Sally had taken a chance on emailing
me and that I had agreed to meet her. We made plans to meet every
time she came back to the area for a visit.
When we got up to leave, Sally said, "Oh, let's get a photograph
taken, I've brought my camera."
The hostess, a young woman of about 20, took the camera and
motioned us to stand close together.
"We haven't seen each other in more than 49 years," I said to her.
Her eyes widened. She lowered the camera and looked at us as if
really seeing us for the first time.
"Why are you getting together now?" she asked.
I looked at Sally, who grinned back at me. She slipped her arm
around my shoulder and we both turned toward the young woman and
smiled.
"Because we can," I said. "And aren't we lucky?"
-- Claudia Chyle Smith <csmithcomm at aol.com>
___________________________________________
Claudia writes from Reston, Virginia. She is the mother of two grown
daughters, one of whom is married with two sons and the other is a
social worker in the PICU of a busy medical center. Her husband of
41 years has enjoyed her stories for years and has encouraged her to
share them with others.
````````````````
Just a little bit...
Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday
morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk
containing three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful
and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate
had placed them there, along with a piece of paper
that had a short story written on it I immediately sat
down and began eating the first brownie as I read the
following story:
Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the
theater to watch a movie that all their friends had
seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on
the Internet, he denied their request.
"Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13,
and we're both older than thirteen!"
Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and
portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable
behavior "
"But dad, those are just very small parts of the
movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have
told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes
are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based
on a true story, and good triumphs over evil, and
there are other redeeming themes like courage and
self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say
that!"
"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You
are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your
friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have
in our home collection. But you will not go and watch
that film. End of discussion."
The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family
room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked,
they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father
preparing something in the kitchen. They soon
recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in
the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other,
"Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try
to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we
can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them
out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie
after all."
About that time I began eating the second brownie from
the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some
connection to the brownies I was eating and the
brownies in the story. I kept reading...
The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father
appeared with a plate of warm brownies which he
offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their
father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you
something: I love you both so much."
The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing
glances. Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very
best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of
the ingredients are even organic. The best organic
flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic
sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens
began to become a little impatient with their dad's
long speech.
"But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is
one ingredient I added that is not usually found in
brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back
yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the
tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The
amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So
go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think."
"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery
ingredient is before we eat?"
"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a
teasthingyful. You won't even taste it."
"Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is."
"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other
ingredients."
"Dad!"
"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is
organic...dog poop."
I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and
I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk. I
continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that
still remained.
Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on
the plate and began inspecting their fingers with
horror.
"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by
making us smell those brownies cooking for the last
half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog
poop! We can't eat these brownies!"
"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small
compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt
you. It's been cooked right along with the other
ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same
consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"
"No, Dad...NEVER!"
"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go
watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop
in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little
immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not
lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good
conscience entertain ourselves with something that
will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will
lead us into temptation long after we first see it?
I discarded what remained of the second brownie as
well as the entire untouched third brownie. What had
been irresistible a minute go had become detestable.
And only because of the very slim chance that what I
was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it
wasn't...but I couldn't convince myself.)
What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate
any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites
were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from
their homes. Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens
the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6). (1 Cor. 5:7),faith and
sin, don't mix.
Author Unknown
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of a childhood incident that
may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound
influence on the rest of his life. It happened when he was nine years
old. It was winter. Young Frank was walking across a snow-covered
field with his uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the
field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the
snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's
tracks meandering all over the field.
"Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle
to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks
aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."
Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this
experience had greatly contributed to his life's philosophy. "I
determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to
miss most things in life, as my uncle had."
He determined to be alive and present. To be fully aware and squeeze
as much life out of each moment as possible.
We will miss most things in life if we live in the past. Let us learn
from the past, but not live there.
We will miss most things in life if we live in the future. Let us plan
for the future, but not live there.
We will miss little if we live in the present. And we'll have more fun
along the way!
-- Steve Goodier
__________
__________
P.S. JUST WONDERIN'
What's another word for 'Thesaurus? -- Steven Wright
__________
ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO YOU
In West Virginia folklore there is a story of a country doctor
who was called out to a holler late one night to assist a woman
about to give birth. By the time the doctor arrived at the
farmhouse, things had progressed to a point where the doctor
asked the husband to help him by holding a gas lantern up
high in order to illuminate the makeshift delivery room.
Before long, the courageous mother delivered a healthy baby boy.
As the father lowered the lantern, the doctor barked an order to
keep the lantern aloft: "We're not done yet." Shortly, a second
child appeared on the scene, a healthy baby girl. Shaken by the
unexpected arrival of twins, the father heard the doctor say once
again, "We can't stop now. It looks as if it's going to be
triplets." To which the stunned father, still holding the lantern
high, replied, "Do you think it's the light that's attracting
them?"
Light has a quality of attraction. I recently left my office door
open late one afternoon in our mountain home and, at dusk, the
light from within attracted -- a hummingbird! (Coaxing a
hummingbird out of the house is a little like pushing a rope.
Mostly, whatever you do doesn't work.)
You, too, have a light that attracts...an inner light. Not
visible to the naked eye, but apparent just the same. We speak of
a "twinkle" in the eye or a "flicker" of warmth in the heart.
Some people shine with a light of kindness. Others emit a light
of hope. There are those who glow with enthusiasm and still
others who radiate love.
Almost all creatures are drawn to light, including humans. Do you
want to attract people to you? Positive and life-affirming inner
qualities can attract people like a warm fire on a cold night.
What will draw other people to you best cannot be purchased in
any department store. They will respond to that which radiates
from within.
You may not always see it, but your light is shining through. And
it's one of your most attractive qualities!
-- Steve Goodier
__________
P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
Life may have no meaning. Or even worse, it may have a meaning of
which I disapprove. -- Ashleigh Brilliant
AREN'T WE LUCKY?
by Claudia Chyle Smith
"Hi, Claudia, do you remember me? Sally Maklin? Actually,
Sally Maklin Davis now. I got your email address from Judy in
Wisconsin and since I'll be in D.C. next week visiting my daughter I
hope we might meet for lunch."
I studied the email and waited for a rush of recognition. Sally
Maklin, huh. Nothing stirred, no image formed, no memory rushed
forward.
"Wait, wasn't she that girl with the shiny brown pony tail and
freckles across her nose who came over after school to play in 5th
grade?" I wondered. Yes, that was Sally. She was a pistol. Oh my
gosh, I haven't thought of her or seen her in -- well, it's been a
long, long time.
My curiosity was piqued and I wrote back that our years at
McKinley Elementary school in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were distant
memories but I would enjoy meeting her for lunch and finding out more
about her life. And I was curious. Why would someone want to see me
again after such a long time?
We agreed on a restaurant in a mall half way between her
daughter's house and mine for the following Tuesday.
That morning, as I got dressed, it occurred to me that Sally
wouldn't still be the smooth-faced girl with freckles and a shiny
ponytail. Wondering how we'd recognize each other struck me as
slightly absurd. Is it possible to recollect a face not seen in more
than 45 years? I laughed out loud thinking about it.
Suddenly I felt a little nervous. What would we talk about?
What if she's strange? What if we have completely different opinions
about the world and have nothing to talk about?
I drove to the mall thinking I'd been impetuous in agreeing to
meet her. On one hand, I was flattered that someone from so far back
in my life had wanted to reconnect with me and on the other hand I
was wondering why.
Clustered around the hostess's station were pairs and foursomes
waiting to be seated, no singles.
And suddenly there she was -- a slender woman walking toward me,
arms outstretched, to share a big, warm hug. Sally's eyes made me
remember her in a flash. They danced like bright brown marbles in
her smooth face. She had an easy smile and a comfortable look about
her. It felt as if I'd known her forever.
Within minutes, we were eating our salads and picking up the
outlines of our lives as if we had simply stepped out of the room for
a minute and then returned. We talked about our families, her summer
home in Minnesota, our work, her husband's impending retirement and
our mutual friends in Wisconsin. Our conversation sailed on easily.
I relaxed and realized how good an old friendship can be.
"You know," she said leaning toward me, "the first time I ever
ate lamb was at your house and your mother served it with mint jelly.
She was really something and I learned a lot from her."
She knew my mother and father! She'd been to my house on 81st
Street. My mother had taught her things. How many people are left
on this earth who can say that? I was humbled by this thought and
overwhelmed with gratitude that Sally had taken a chance on emailing
me and that I had agreed to meet her. We made plans to meet every
time she came back to the area for a visit.
When we got up to leave, Sally said, "Oh, let's get a photograph
taken, I've brought my camera."
The hostess, a young woman of about 20, took the camera and
motioned us to stand close together.
"We haven't seen each other in more than 49 years," I said to her.
Her eyes widened. She lowered the camera and looked at us as if
really seeing us for the first time.
"Why are you getting together now?" she asked.
I looked at Sally, who grinned back at me. She slipped her arm
around my shoulder and we both turned toward the young woman and
smiled.
"Because we can," I said. "And aren't we lucky?"
-- Claudia Chyle Smith <csmithcomm at aol.com>
___________________________________________
Claudia writes from Reston, Virginia. She is the mother of two grown
daughters, one of whom is married with two sons and the other is a
social worker in the PICU of a busy medical center. Her husband of
41 years has enjoyed her stories for years and has encouraged her to
share them with others.
````````````````
Just a little bit...
Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday
morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk
containing three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful
and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate
had placed them there, along with a piece of paper
that had a short story written on it I immediately sat
down and began eating the first brownie as I read the
following story:
Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the
theater to watch a movie that all their friends had
seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on
the Internet, he denied their request.
"Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13,
and we're both older than thirteen!"
Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and
portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable
behavior "
"But dad, those are just very small parts of the
movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have
told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes
are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based
on a true story, and good triumphs over evil, and
there are other redeeming themes like courage and
self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say
that!"
"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You
are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your
friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have
in our home collection. But you will not go and watch
that film. End of discussion."
The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family
room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked,
they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father
preparing something in the kitchen. They soon
recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in
the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other,
"Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try
to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we
can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them
out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie
after all."
About that time I began eating the second brownie from
the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some
connection to the brownies I was eating and the
brownies in the story. I kept reading...
The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father
appeared with a plate of warm brownies which he
offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their
father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you
something: I love you both so much."
The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing
glances. Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very
best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of
the ingredients are even organic. The best organic
flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic
sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens
began to become a little impatient with their dad's
long speech.
"But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is
one ingredient I added that is not usually found in
brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back
yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the
tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The
amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So
go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think."
"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery
ingredient is before we eat?"
"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a
teasthingyful. You won't even taste it."
"Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is."
"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other
ingredients."
"Dad!"
"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is
organic...dog poop."
I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and
I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk. I
continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that
still remained.
Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on
the plate and began inspecting their fingers with
horror.
"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by
making us smell those brownies cooking for the last
half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog
poop! We can't eat these brownies!"
"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small
compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt
you. It's been cooked right along with the other
ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same
consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"
"No, Dad...NEVER!"
"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go
watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop
in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little
immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not
lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good
conscience entertain ourselves with something that
will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will
lead us into temptation long after we first see it?
I discarded what remained of the second brownie as
well as the entire untouched third brownie. What had
been irresistible a minute go had become detestable.
And only because of the very slim chance that what I
was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it
wasn't...but I couldn't convince myself.)
What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate
any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites
were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from
their homes. Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens
the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6). (1 Cor. 5:7),faith and
sin, don't mix.
Author Unknown