India-L Family: A time to Remember, A time to share.
Hi All at India Roots, and anyone wishing to join with inputs.
If you have something that you have read or heard and would
like to share with others that pertains to building up or encouraging someone, please
send a mail to Ronnie giving
the article, with authors name if available. The idea of this part of the
Family Page is so that people could open and read some thoughts and
reflect on them, may be able to just bring back personal memories that
need nto be shared with others, for those who are lonely and are undergoing
a change in life that needs a helping hand or a listening ear. This is the place to sit and
ponder, this is where you can reflect and give solace to others by leaving thoughts that
have helped you through a situation. Something that encouraged you when you were down. Ofcourse, we all need a diversion,
and some of the 'diversion' material raises euebrows on India-Roots, you may be able to find some of that 'diversion' material on this page.
Thanks,
Ronnie
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school in the Fall and told the children a lie. Like most
teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved each of them the same, that she would treat them all alike.
And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs.Thompson
had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkempt and that he constantly
needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his
papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then highlighting the "F" at the top of the paper biggest of all. Because Teddy was a sullen
little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records
and delayed Teddy's until last. When she opened his file, she found a surprise.
His first-grade teacher had written, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He
is a joy to be around."
His second-grade teacher had penned, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by all his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother
has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third-grade teacher had noted, "Teddy continues to work hard but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his
father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth-grade teacher had commented, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends
and often falls asleep in class. He is tardy and could become a more serious problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the extent of the problem, but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all,
until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus again on Teddy Stoddard. Her children brought her presents, all in
beautiful ribbon and bright paper, except Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored grocery bag.
Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone
bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter while she exclaimed how
pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard
stayed behind after class just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to."
After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and speaking. Instead,
she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all
called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On those days
when there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the highest
achieving children in the class and, well, he had also somewhat become the "pet" of that teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children
exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite.
Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still
his favorite teacher of all time.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and
would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.
Four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little
further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite teacher but that now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F.
Stoddard, M.D.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if
Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And on that day, she wore that bracelet, the one
with several rhinestones missing. And on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their
last Christmas together.
THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact
in your venture through life.
"If Tomorrow Never Comes"
If I knew it would be the last time
that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything right.
There will always be another day
to say our "I love yours",
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do's?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "Please forgive me,"
"thank you," or "its okay".
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.
Dear Lord!
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when
the alarm rings, thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the
morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord,
that I can see.
Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off
rising, thank you Lord, that I have the strength to
rise.
There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers
are short, thank you, Lord, for My family.
There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like
the
pictures in magazines and the menu is at times
unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry;
Even though the routine of my job often is hard,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from
day to day and wish my circumstances were not so
modest, thank you, Lord, for life.
Do the following exercise, guaranteed to raise an eyebrow, There's no
trick or surprise. Just follow these instructions, and answer the
questions one at a time and as quickly as you can!
Again, as quickly as you can but don't advance until you've done each
of them ... really.
Now, arrow down (but not too fast, you might miss something).
Think of a number from 1 to 10
Multiply that number by 9
If the number is a 2-digit number, add the digits together
Now subtract 5
Determine which letter in the alphabet corresponds to the number you
ended up with (example: 1=a, 2=b, 3=c, etc.)
Think of a country that starts with that letter
Remember the last letter in the name of that country
Think of the name of an animal that starts with that letter
Are you thinking of Kangaroos in Denmark?
If not, you're among the 2% of the population whose minds are
different enough to think of something else. 98% of people will answer
with kangaroos in Denmark when given this exercise.
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face,
walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a
most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work,
they had seven children and they needed food.
John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave
his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will
bring you the money just as soon as I can."
John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge
account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who
overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and
told the grocerman that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her
family.
The grocerman said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?
Louise replied "Yes sir" "O.K." he said, "put your grocery list on the
scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount
in groceries." Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she
reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled
something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully
with her head still bowed.
The eyes of the grocerman and the customer showed amazement when the
scales went down and stayed down. The grocerman staring at the scales,
turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."
The customer smiled and the grocerman started putting the groceries on the
other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put
more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
The grocerman stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece
of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was
not a grocery list, it was a prayer which said: "Dear Lord, you know my
needs and I am leaving this in your hands." The grocerman gave her the
groceries that he had gathered and placed on the scales and stood in
stunned silence.
Louise thanked him and left the store.
The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to John as he said, "It was worth
every penny of it." It was sometime later that John Longhouse discovered
the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer
weighs.
POWER OF PRAYER
When you receive this, say a prayer. Just stop right now, and say a prayer
for the one who sent this to you. There is nothing attached. Then share
this with all who believe in prayer or need to
believe in prayer. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is
no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue praying for one another.
Be not afraid (cf. Lk 1:30, Mt 1:20)
Emergency Phone Numbers:
Feed your Faith, and doubt will starve to death!
When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor.13
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col.3:12-17
For ideas on Christianity, call 2Cor. 5:15-19
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-
When you want peace and rest, call Mathew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labour or travel, call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow and selfish, call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
How to get along with fellow men, call Romans 12
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
When you are sick, call Psalm 30
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37
If you're losing confidence in people, call 1Cor. 13
If people seem unkind, call John 15
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small and yourself great, call Psalm19
Note: Emergency numbers may be dialled direct. No operator assistance is
necessary.
All lines are toll free and open 24 hours a day
One of our members sent in this Beautiful True Story....
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first
ministry, to reopen a church in urban Brooklyn, arrived in early
October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church,
it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have
everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.
They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc.,
and on Dec. 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On
DEC 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and
lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the
church. His heart sunk when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing
a large area of plaster about 6 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front
wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head
high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what
else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the
way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type
sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crochet table cloth with exquisite work, fine
colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the
right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and
headed back to the church.
By this time it had started to snow. An
older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the
bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm
church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no
attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up
the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how
beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then
he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a
sheet. Pastor, she asked, Where did you get that tablecloth? The
pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner
to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were.
These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth
35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the
pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained
that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in
Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was
going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison
and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to
give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.
She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had
on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit
were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted
everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older
man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit
in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't
leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front
wall because it was identical to the one that his wife had made years
ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be
two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came,
how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to
follow her, but he was arrested and put in a concentration camp. He
never saw his wife or his home again for all the 35 years in between.
The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little
ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the
three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door,
and saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine
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