Nice story 

A man was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road.  work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home. It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew the country.  He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working, which came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down.

 He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old lady stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of
 day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.

 His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her?  He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.  It was that chill which only fear can put in you.  He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."

 Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.

 She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.  Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.  She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past... He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me". He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

 A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the
 last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps.  The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor-it didn't ring much. Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote.  It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once  helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

 Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.

 That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right; I love you, Bryan."

 Let the Light Shine. Don't put it under a basket.

 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  John 3:17

God's Boxes of Love

I have in my hands two boxes  Which God gave me to hold  He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the  gold."  I heeded His words, and in the two boxes  Both my joys and sorrows I store  But though the gold became heavier each day  The black was as light as before  With curiosity, I opened the black  I wanted to find out why  And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole  Which my sorrows had fallen out by  I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, "I wonder where my sorrows could  be."  He smiled a gentle smile at me.  "My child, they're all here with me."  I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the  hole?" "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is  for you to let go."

Interview

I dreamed I had an interview with God.
 
"Come in," God said.  "So, you would like to interview Me?"
 
 "If you have the time," I said.
 
 God smiled and said, "My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
 
 "What surprises you most about mankind?"
 
 God 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..."
 
 God's hands took mine and we were silent for while and then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your
 children to learn?"
 
 God replied with a smile:  "To learn that they cannot make anyone love them.  What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
 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.  All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!  To learn
 that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.  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 express or show their feelings. To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.   To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.  To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.  To learn that it is not always enough that
 they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."
 
 I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment.  I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family.  He
 replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day.  All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."
 
 People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did... but people will never forget how you make them feel

New Footprints on the Sand

Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking along the beach together.  For much of the way the Lord's footprints go along
steadily, consistently, rarely varying in the pace. But your prints are in a disorganized stream of zig zags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this.  But gradually, your footprints come in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends.

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens; your footprints that once etched the sand next to the Master's are
now walking precisely in His steps.  Inside His large footprints is the smaller "sand print," safely enclosed.  You and Jesus are becoming one; this goes on for many miles.

But gradually you notice another change.  The footprints inside the larger footprints seem to grow larger.  Eventually it disappears
altogether.  There is only one set of footprints. They have become one; again this goes on for a long time. But then something awful happens.  The second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse than before.  Zig zags all over the place.  Stop...start.

Deep gashes in the sand.  A veritable mess of prints.

You're amazed and shocked.  But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak: "Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags,
fits, starts, and so on.  I was a new Christian, just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct," replied the Lord.

"Then, when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps.  I followed You very closely."

"Very good.  You have understood everything so far."

"Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was
becoming more like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"But this is my question, Lord.  Was there a regression or something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first."

The Lord smiles, then laughs.  "You didn't know?"  He says." That was when we danced."

"YOU TURNED MY MOURNING INTO DANCING;"   Psalm 30:11

Pushing Against The Rock

There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room was filled with light and the savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. The man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent
in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture placing thoughts into the man's mind such as; "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it? etc." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough." And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer
and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all of my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all of this time, I have not even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?" To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.
But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinews and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise
your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock."

-Author unknown~

I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THANKS FOR KEEPING ON PUSHING
AND NOT GIVING UP ON EVERYTHING...ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE REASONS TO.   THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PERSEVERANCE AND
PERSISTANCE, REALLY...NO "SUGAR COATING."
    I APRECIATE YOU STICKING TO YOUR "TASKS" AND NOT GIVING UP.     YOU
MEAN A LOT TO ME, AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT GOD IS RIGHT
BEHIND YOU, AND HIS SON PUSHED ON MANY ROCKS BEFORE HE WAS THROUGH
WORKING.

   "DO NOT LET THIS PRESENT WORLD TROUBLE YOU...FEAR NOT, FOR I HAVE
ALREADY OVERCOME THIS WORLD."
                           ~DADDY...A.K.A.~GOD    :D

Science

"LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with Jesus Christ."  The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new Students to stand.  "You're a Christian, aren't you son?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you believe in God?"
 
"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"
 
"Sure!  God's good."

"Is God all-powerful?  Can God do anything?"
 
"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"
 
"The Bible says I'm evil."
 
The professor grins knowingly.

"Ahh! THE BIBLE!"  He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him.  You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"

"Yes, sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Why not say that?  You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could...  God doesn't."

No Answer.

"He doesn't, does he?  My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him.  How is this Jesus good?  Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
 
No answer.

The elderly man is sympathetic.  "No, you can't, can you?"  He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.  In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.
 
"Let's start again, young fella.  Is God good?"

"Er...  Yes."
 
"Is Satan good?"
 
"No."
 
"Where does Satan come from?"

The student falters.  "From...God..."

"That's right.  God made Satan, didn't he?"  The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."  He turns back to the Christian.  "Tell me, son.  Is there evil in this world?"
 
"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it?  Did God make everything?"

"Yes."
 
"Who created evil?"

No answer.

"Is there sickness in this world?  Immorality?  Hatred?  Ugliness?   All the terrible things -- do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet.  "Yes."
 
"Who created them?"  No answer.  The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM?  TELL ME, PLEASE!"  The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

No answer.

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther.  The class is mesmerized.  "Tell me," he continues, "how is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?"  The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world.

"All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
 
No answer.

"Don't you see it all over the place?  Huh?"  Pause.  "Don't you?"  The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?"
 
No answer.

"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"  The student's voice betrays him and cracks.
 
"Yes, professor.  I do."

The old man shakes his head sadly.  "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.  Have you ever seen your Jesus?"
 
"No, sir.  I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
 
"No, sir.  I have not."
 
"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
 
No answer.
 
"Answer me, please."

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
 
"You're AFRAID ... you haven't?"

"No, sir."
 
"Yet you still believe in him?"
 
"...Yes..."

"That takes FAITH!"  The professor smiles sagely at the underling." According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist.  What do you say to that, son?  Where is your God now?"
The student doesn't answer.  "Sit down, please."

The Christian sits...Defeated.  Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
 
The professor turns and smiles.  "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man.  Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Christian looks around the room.  "Some interesting points you are making, sir.  Now I've got a question for you.  Is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies.  "There's heat."

"Is there such a thing as cold?"
 
"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No, sir, there isn't."
 
The professor's grin freezes.  The room suddenly goes very cold.
 
The second Christian continues.  "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold.'  We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.  "There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 - You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat.  We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy.  Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it. "Silence.  A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

"That's a dumb question, son.  What is night if it isn't darkness?  What are you getting at...?"

"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes..."

"You're wrong again, sir.  Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something.  You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it?  That's the meaning we use to define the word.  In reality, Darkness isn't.  If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it.  Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester.  "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"
 
"Yes, professor.  My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic.  "Flawed...?  How dare you...!"

"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"  The class is all ears.

"Explain ... oh, explain..."  The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control.  Suddenly he is affability itself.  He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then here's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.  Sir, science cannot even explain a thought.  It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them.  To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.  Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it." The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it.  "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor.  Is there such a thing as immorality?"

"Of course there is, now look..."

"Wrong again, sir.  You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice?  No.  Injustice is the absence of justice.  Is there such a thing as evil?"  The Christian pauses.   "Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming color.  He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.  The Christian continues.  "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil.  What is that work, God is accomplishing?  The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles.  "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely don't recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week!  Tell me, professor.  Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do. "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.
 
"Professor.  Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir?  Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"

"I believe in what is -- that's science!"

"Ha!  SCIENCE!" the student's face spits into a grin.  "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena.  Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
 
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED?" the professor splutters.

The class is in uproar.  The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided.  "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"  The professor wisely keeps silent.  The Christian looks around the room.  "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"

The class breaks out in laughter.  The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor.  "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain ... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? "No one appears to have done so.  The Christian shakes his head sadly." It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever.

Well, according to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says the professor has no brain."