A Story for Valentine's Day

[Rhonda]

A Story for Valentine's Day
By Jo Ann Larsen

Larry and Jo Ann were an ordinary couple. They lived in an ordinary house on an ordinary street. Like any other ordinary couple, they struggled to make ends meet and to do the right things for their children.
They were ordinary in yet another way — they had their squabbles. Much of their conversation concerned what was wrong in their marriage and who was to blame.
Until one day when a most extraordinary event took place.
"You know, Jo Ann, I've got a magic chest of drawers. Every time I open them, they're full of socks and underwear," Larry said. "I want to thank you for filling them all these years."
Jo Ann stared at her husband over the top of her glasses. "What do you want, Larry?"
"Nothing. I just want you to know I appreciate those magic drawers."
This wasn't the first time Larry had done something odd, so Jo Ann pushed the incident out of her mind until a few days later.
"Jo Ann, thank you for recording so many correct check numbers in the ledger this month. You put down the right numbers 15 out of 16 times. That's a record."
Disbelieving what she had heard, Jo Ann looked up from her mending. "Larry, you're always complaining about my recording the wrong check numbers. Why stop now?"
"No reason. I just wanted you to know I appreciate the effort you're making."
Jo Ann shook her head and went back to her mending. "What's got into him?" she mumbled to herself.
Nevertheless, the next day when Jo Ann wrote a check at the grocery store, she glanced at her checkbook to confirm that she had put down the right check number. "Why do I suddenly care about those dumb check numbers?" she asked herself.
She tried to disregard the incident, but Larry's strange behavior intensified.
"Jo Ann, that was a great dinner," he said one evening. "I appreciate all your effort. Why, in the past 15 years I'll bet you've fixed over 14,000 meals for me and the kids."
Then "Gee, Jo Ann, the house looks spiffy. You've really worked hard to get it looking so good." And even "Thanks, Jo Ann, for just being you. I really enjoy your company."
Jo Ann was growing worried. "Where's the sarcasm, the criticism?" she wondered.
Her fears that something peculiar was happening to her husband were confirmed by 16-year-old Shelly, who complained, "Dad's gone bonkers, Mom. He just told me I looked nice. With all this makeup and these sloppy clothes, he still said it. That's not Dad, Mom. What's wrong with him?"
Whatever was wrong, Larry didn't get over it. Day in and day out he continued focusing on the positive.
Over the weeks, Jo Ann grew more accustomed to her mate's unusual behavior and occasionally even gave him a grudging "Thank you." She prided herself on taking it all in stride, until one day something so peculiar happened, she became completely discombobulated:
"I want you to take a break," Larry said. "I am going to do the dishes. So please take your hands off that frying pan and leave the kitchen."
(Long, long pause.) "Thank you, Larry. Thank you very much!"
Jo Ann's step was now a little lighter, her self-confidence higher and once in a while she hummed. She didn't seem to have as many blue moods anymore. "I rather like Larry's new behavior," she thought.
That would be the end of the story except one day another most extraordinary event took place. This time it was Jo Ann who spoke.
"Larry," she said, "I want to thank you for going to work and providing for us all these years. I don't think I've ever told you how much I appreciate it."
Larry has never revealed the reason for his dramatic change of behavior no matter how hard Jo Ann has pushed for an answer, and so it will likely remain one of life's mysteries. But it's one I'm thankful to live with.
You see, I am Jo Ann.

Reprinted by permission of Jo Ann Larsen (c) 1992 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Rhonda]

KNOW YOUR INNATE, NATURAL TALENTS
by Lisa Jimenez, M. Ed.


You have all you need to make your life work. Look to your natural talents to guide you in life. You know, those things you do so well that you don't even have to think about it. It is those abilities that come naturally to you that will help you build your confidence in other areas of your life. Begin with your strengths! Too many times people focus on what they need to work on – their weaknesses. And get burned out. How much better it is to begin with your talent. Your God-given talents can give you the courage to bridge over to the areas you need work on.

Do you even know your innate talents? Can you name seven of them in less than a minute? Try it. Take a minute right now to list seven innate abilities you have.

I bet if I asked you to name seven things about you that you need to improve, you would come up with all seven in seconds! What's wrong with this picture?
Rethink how you think! Okay. Now, write down seven one-word positives about you. What are you just naturally good at?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Are you using those talents every day – in work, at home, in your relationships? If not, why not? You are missing out on a powerful process of building courage, cultivating faith and conquering fear!

Know Your Innate, Natural Talents and Use Them Every Day!

Have a great day!
Lisa Jimenez M.Ed.

[Rhonda]

*Inspire*

"THE BEGGAR & THE BREAD"
A beggar came and sat before me. "I want bread," he said.
"How wise you are," I assured him. "Bread is what you need. And you have
come to the right bakery." So I pulled my cookbook down from my shelf
and began to tell him all I knew about bread.
I spoke of flour and wheat, of grain and barley. My knowledge impressed
even me as I cited the measurements and recipe. When I looked up, I was
surprised to see he wasn't smiling. "I just want bread," he said.
"How wise you are." I applauded his choice. "Follow me, and I'll show
you our bakery." Down the hallowed halls I guided him, pausing to point
out the rooms where the dough is prepared and the ovens where the bread
is baked.
"No one has such facilities. We have bread for every need. But here is
the best part," I proclaimed as I pushed open two swinging doors. "This
is our room of inspiration." I knew he was moved as we stepped into the
auditorium full of stained-glass windows.
The beggar didn't speak. I understood his silence. With my arm around
his shoulder, I whispered, "It overwhelms me as well." I then leaped
to the podium and struck my favorite pose behind the lectern.
"People come from miles to hear me speak. Once a week, my workers
gather, and I read to them the recipe from the cookbook of life."
By now the beggar had taken a seat on the front row. I knew what he
wanted. "would you like to hear me?"
"No," he said, "but I would like some bread."
"How wise you are," I replied. And I led him to the front door of the
bakery.
"What I have to say next is very important," I told him as we stood
outside.
"Up and down this street you will find many bakeries. But take heed;
they dont serve the true bread. I know of one who adds two sthingys of
salt rather than one. I know of another whose oven is three degrees too
hot. They may call it bread," I warned, "but it's not according to the
book."
The beggar turned and began walking away. "Don't you want bread?" I
asked him.
He stopped, looked back at me, and shrugged, "I guess I lost my
appetite."
I shook my head and returned to my office. "What a shame," I said to
myself. "The world just isn't hungry for true bread anymore."
Unknown
~~~~~~~~~

[Rhonda]

"Good Gifts"
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months
he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and
knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he
wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man 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 beautiful wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and
found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed
in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said,
"With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house,
leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He
had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized 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 immediately
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 new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened
the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully under-
lined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which
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 they are not packaged as we
expected?
~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Rhonda]

"Keeper of the Spring"

The late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for several years
served as the chaplain of the US Senate. He used to love to tell the
story of the "Keeper of the Spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived
high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.

The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town
councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the
mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town.
With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the
leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have
choked and con- taminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon
became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated
along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses
located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally
irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond
description.

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semi- annual
meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary
figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of
the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year?
No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills
is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer." By a unanimous
vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.

For several weeks, nothing changed.
By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches
snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of
sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown
tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within
another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the
banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more
slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists.
Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing
their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the
spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to
clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the
hamlet in the Alps.
Charles
R. Swindoll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

[Rhonda]

The Clock


The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed
To lose one’s health is more.
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.

Author Unknown to Me

39 people died while your read this short poem.
Every hour 5,417 people go to meet their Maker.
You could have been among them…
Sooner or later you will be.

ARE YOU READY??

GOD Bless
~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Rhonda]

THE AGE OF INSULTS

Welcome to The Age of Insults -- a time when civility, respect
and tolerance mean nothing. Hurting people's feelings means even
less.
Today, making enemies is more popular than making friends, and
political and cultural debates end up being personal.
Heaven help you if you have the ability to actually put yourself
in another person's shoes and see the world from his or her point of
view! These days, that's considered a weakness, not a strength.
Worse yet, insulting people has become a profitable endeavor.
The more you insult, the richer you get.
A man who could become the next president of the United States,
U.S. Senator Barack Obama, just happens to have big ears -- a fact
that a prominent journalist couldn't resist commenting on. Sen.
Obama saw her at an event, approached her, and responded that he
didn't take her remarks kindly. She told him that she was just
helping him "toughen up" for the grueling campaign ahead.
The next day, we hear radio commentator Rush Limbaugh referring
to the Senator as Barack O'Dumbo. Several weeks earlier, Mr.
Limbaugh made fun of Michael J. Fox's spasms caused by his
Parkinson's disease.
But that was nothing compared to the recent flap between Rosie
O'Donnell and Donald Trump with the personal name calling. More
recently, Rosie slammed Simon Cowell from American Idol for
ridiculing one of the contestants in front of millions of people by
saying he looks like a monkey, or more exactly, "a bush baby." Rosie
was lamenting the fact that the show has less to do with music and
more to do with laughing at physical characteristics for
entertainment purposes. Rosie was right on that one.
Yes, show business is a tough racket and it's not the place to
be if you want to feel good about yourself. Judges are supposed to
be critical and contestants have to be prepared to face the music, so
to speak. But there's a big difference between saying, "You can't
sing," and saying, "You can't sing and you're ugly too."
No one is spared. From cruel grade school bullies to
millionaires who think it has become stylish to berate, ridicule and
be mean to each other and their guests, everyone is getting into the
act.
Do you think the guests on the Jerry Springer Show will ever
understand that their antics, name calling and fighting is being
encouraged and presented for only one purpose -- to line the pockets
of the show's producers, while their own lives are being torn apart
for the audience's entertainment? We shudder to think what people
from other countries around the world think about us when they watch
that show.
This isn't just on television. Even educators aren't
blameless. Just recently, a college professor asked her class how
many students could remember an instance where they witnessed a
teacher bullying a child in class. Over 70% raised their hands.
What grade school kid is going to report a teacher for being a bully?
Not a one.
Take a look at sports. Our young people are watching
professional athletes duke it out on the courts and fields.
Sportsmanship has been tossed aside and it's acceptable to actually
hate your opponent. Look at the professional coaches who hit their
players. Look at the volunteer parent coaches who hit kids, umpires
and each other. And that's over a game! Can you imagine how these
people function in the real world?
Teenagers who have harnessed the power of the Internet with
email and instant messaging, are destroying each other with online
gossip and insults. Fifty years ago, school yard gossip was confined
to the girls' lavatory. Now it's being instantly spread at the speed
of light to dozens, if not hundreds, of classmates. The victims are
helpless to defend themselves.
Parents used to tell their children, "If you don't have anything
nice to say, then don't say it." The Baby Boomers have forgotten
that advice, and even worse, have failed to pass it along to the
younger generation who have never heard it and have no idea what it
means.
The descent into The Age of Insults, particularly from a
political point of view, is called "polarization." That means we're
all supposed to choose opposite sides and yell, "We're right and
you're wrong," regardless of what the issue happens to be. If the
people on the other side of the fence aren't converted to your way of
thinking, well then, it's time to subjugate them. Look at the
cultural and religious battles taking place.
Well forgive us, but we don't know of anyone on the planet at
the moment who has a monopoly on the truth. However, there was
Somebody who did, and He taught a simple lesson 2000 years ago by
saying, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way
you judge, you will be judged." And as far as the Golden Rule is
concerned, has anyone heard it referenced lately?
Let's work to turn things around this year and let people,
especially our young people, realize that the strongest among us can
listen rather than ridicule, can respect rather than condemn. We
need to redefine who our heroes are. We need to promote leaders in
show business, politics, sports, education, religion and business,
who can lift our spirits and give us hope that our civilization can
rise above this behavior -- a civilization that will not allow the
strong to bully the weak and that hurtling punches and insults is
something that is disdained, not admired.
Yes, leadership is important, but if we are ever going to get
beyond this, it will require an effort by every person, from every
walk of life.
And as far as Sen. Obama's ears are concerned, we suggest he use
them to his advantage. He can say, "God gave me big ears for a
reason. I can hear the voice of the people loud and clear!"

-- Lee Simonson, Publisher, Heartwarmers.com
<publisher @ heartwarmers.com>