The Apples That Scattered Everywhere

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

Well, as things sometimes happen, one thing led to another. The last speaker at the convention went longer than anticipated and the meeting ran way over time. If the salesmen were going to make it home on time, they needed to really scurry to the terminal.

With tickets and briefcases in hand, they barged through the terminal to catch their flight back home. In their rush, one of the salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere.

Without stopping or looking back at the mess they left behind, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding...All but one.

One salesman paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The sixteen year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her. No one was stopping and no one cared for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?'

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister.......'

He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'

He stopped in mid-stride. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our goal, is it not? Aren't we striving to be like Jesus? Does our life follow the path he has trod? In this world where people have lost sight of right and wrong, does our life reflect His love, grace and teachings?

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living His teachings as life unfolds day to day.

Sometimes it is so hard to make the "right" choice especially when the situation feels "unfair," but those are the times that the real you can shine.



"Nobody can go back
and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today and
make a new ending.
~Maria Robinson~



Yes, I am a Christian and unashamed of my belief. That's why I shared my testimony of Christ for my daughter in a post on my blog for all the world to read and for her to never forget.

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I Have Ticks

Email.

Just that one word conjures up all sorts of emotions and thoughts which vary from pleasant to excruciatingly horrible.

Some of the email communications I enjoy are sweet stories that touch my heart and that's exactly what happened today...

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response. Pastor Thomas began to speak...."I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the boy and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time.."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh?? !!! You don't want these birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.

I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."

"DONE!" replied Jesus and then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

I loved that story! If you read my blog, you know that above all else, I love my Savior and am thankful beyond words for his sacrifice. Because of Him, I have a wonderful family and a precious child. Clothes, cars, homes, jewelry, and everything else has been lovely to own and have made my life more comfortable. However, when all of that "stuff" has turned to dust, I will still have the love of my family, child and Savior.

Maybe you are new to my blog and didn't know that I felt that strongly about "religious" things, but now you do. My testimony of Christ is the thread that runs through my life. It is that one piece of knowledge that inspires me to be the person who diligently tries to be better and love deeper every day.

Just in case you were wondering what made me tick.


Your blogger friend with ticks,

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Doctor and Patient

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said,"Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing for sure... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

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Cell Phones vs. The Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to children as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go... hmm... where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

And finally, no dropped calls!

Makes you stop and think 'Where are my priorities?"

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Frayed On The Edges

Sometimes life comes at you too fast...

• a loved one dies
• an unexpected pregnancy
• job loss
• house burns down
• involved in a car crash
• health crisis and surgery
• depression
• diagnosed with a disease

When life experiences are overwhelming, it is necessary to gravitate to your base. Everything else is unnecessary, frivolous and only tends to add to the stress.

I have an armoire that encases my computer, office supplies, the camera, books, pictures of my family and attached to the back behind the monitor, a giant Mother's Day card can be found. It is a mammoth piece of furniture held together by wooden and metal pegs and a few metal screws. Unless I get down on my hands and knees, stick my head under it and look up, it is impossible to see any screws. Even then, I can only see a couple that are placed in strategic locations.

The metal screws play a vital role in sustaining the solidity of my armoire. The wooden edges around the hole are a bit rough, but that doesn't deter the screw from staying put and doing its job. The frayed edges are just the by product of a sure and sturdy beginning.

During trials, tribulations, and catastrophes, it is necessary to remember our foundation...our beginning...the screws that hold us together. We have learned and gathered information that will help us through anything life presents, and we also have people in our lives that keep us grounded to the truth. These same people have the ability to show us the light at the end of the tunnel. They help us to hold on to the hope that all things pass no matter how awful it currently feels.

However, as a Christian, the gospel of Christ is the ultimate foundation in my life and for you, it may be a different belief of a Higher Being. When my soul aches because life is fraying at the edges, I know that I can cry in prayer for His comfort. Sometimes all the information and loving people can not provide the needed relief. Granted, I do not actually see Christ standing in front of me nor do I hear His voice speaking my name, but I can feel peace within my soul.

There are times that I have not felt His comfort or knew the right choices, but I know it is necessary to persevere and remain steadfast in the foundation of knowledge and faith accumulated throughout my life. Just because I can't find peace, doesn't mean that He isn't there guiding my life. I need to hold it together because just like a sunny day, the night will come and so will another sunny day. It is up to me not to let these experiences unscrew my faith or all my hope.


"Permanence, perseverance and persistence
in spite of all obstacles,
discouragement, and impossibilities:
It is this, that in all things
distinguishes the strong soul
from the weak."~Thomas Carlyle~

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My Testimony of Christ for my daughter

Alyssa, my sweet daughter whom I love more than life itself, this posting is for you. I am writing it in my blog because I want you to know that I am not ashamed of my love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have lived my life trying to please him, making mistakes, repenting, and trying again. That is what life is all about and I hope that I have taught you sufficiently.


Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion and this event is celebrated on Easter Sunday.

According to the King James Version of the Bible, the passage describing this event is found in John 20:11-18 which reads:

11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

This is my favorite picture of Christ. I can almost feel Mary's pain
at thinking someone had taken Jesus' body and then the
joy at recognizing him standing before her.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

I want you to know, Alyssa, that I am grateful for the sacrifice that Jesus made for all mankind. I know that He lives and is the Redeemer of the world. He is always there to watch over and guide us if we will listen. No matter what we have done or do wrong, He is still there to lead us and love us.

Unfortunately Alyssa, some day I will not be on this earth to hold and comfort you when you cry, when your heart is broken, or to help calm your fears. That is my only apprehension about dying. I know where we all go when we die and who waits to greet us. It is a wonderful experience for us when we die, but sad for those that we have to leave behind. Although it will be only a short separation, as your mother, I don't want us to be apart even for that long.


Alyssa, I want you to know Jesus Christ the way that I do. I want you to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost that will inspire you to make correct choices.

Just as you text message, talk on the phone and spend time with your family and friends, I hope that you will make an effort to know Him.

Read His words.

Pray.

Prayer is wonderful and can give you peace when nothing and no one else can.

Live a life that is filled with unselfishness, love, compassion, service to your fellow man, and be trustworthy, forgiving, honest, and a virtuous woman.


Some day you may be blessed with children of your own. When and if that happens, you will realize just how much I love you. You will want your family with you forever. Your joy and happiness with their love for you will fill your heart to overflowing. It is the most wonderful experience I have ever known or will ever know.

I love you Alyssa. I love you with all that I am or will ever be.

I am so proud to have you as my daughter. I feel so blessed. You have fulfilled all the aching of my once empty arms.

You are special. A daughter of God. He loves you too and wants to give you all that you need. Jesus is there for you. I know this is true. He has comforted my broken heart many times and answered so many of my prayers even when I didn't feel I deserved his blessings.


Thank you for being my daughter. Thank you for the opportunity to share your life.

On this beautiful Easter, I hope that you thank our Savior for his sacrifice and commit to live his teachings always.

Loving you always,
Mom

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Faith First

As a Christian woman, I am supposed to practice faith in all things which is simply a belief that God will do the best for me, my family, friends, country, world...you get the point. I'm ashamed to say, having faith is very hard for me when it pertains to my life and very easy when it is someone else's life.

Maybe that is just human

Or maybe that is being weak.

I think it is just my own weakness.

My faith has been drowned by fear and doubt.

I find it hard to just believe that God wants to bless me.

My husband, Tom, has been out of work for quite some time. He has remained steadfast and positive that in God's time he would find work again. I have felt that God was punishing me for my sins. That I apparently deserved unhappiness, stress and fear. That the financial hardships were what I merited. I haven't spoken this aloud except for once, but it has been in my heart.

God blesses us even when we are weak,

Sinful and

Faithless.

In complete humility and deep in my heart, I always knew that God loved me even with all my weaknesses,

Sins,

And with my lack of faith.

I tried doing many things to adjust my attitude. A few of the most different included blogging more motivations to uplift my spirit and increase my faith. I turned off the television and didn't listen to the radio to and from work so that I could carry on a conversation with God

Pleading for a job for my husband

And to obtain the whisperings of peace in my heart.

My mother and husband's faith was strong. Their prayers of faith were pleasing to God, I'm sure. I was weak and prayed with a heavy heart, fear and doubt. Because He loves me in spite of my weaknesses and as a blessing to the faith of my mother and husband, God granted His blessing.

My husband has a job.

An excellent job that he starts on Monday.

My heart is full with

Gratitude,

Knowledge

In the power of God

And embarrassed humility that I didn't have more faith and believe in Him for the blessing we needed.

I know that many of you have been praying this same prayer with us, so I want to publicly thank you for your friendship,

Prayers,

And most of all examples of practicing faith.

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Don't Leave It On The Desk

I hope this story is as touching and meaningful for you as it was for me.

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.

Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know....I've never done 300 at a time"

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well...I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

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