Where's Baby Jesus?

The decorating committee had just finished their beautification of
the Sanctuary for the Christmas Season. All the greenery and bells
and lovely bows were in place and on the altar was placed the
creche with Mary and Joseph, all the animals, and in the manger lay
the Baby Jesus. Satisfied with their work, the members of the
Committee closed the Sanctuary door and left for home. The Church
remained beautiful and inspirational for the season and for
Christmas Day.

The day after Christmas, the Pastor arrived at the Church rather
late, having visited those in the hospital before going to his
church. He walked into the Sanctuary, and again looked at all the
beautiful work the people had done, but noticed that the Baby Jesus
was not lying in the manger. He couldn't imagine what the trouble
was; he knew Jesus had been placed in the manger and had been there
Christmas Day. He looked everywhere, wondering what could have
happened, but could not find Him. He raised his head and gazed out
the window, and there, in the church courtyard, was little Bobby.
Bobby was pulling a shiny, new, red wagon - and inside the wagon,
there He was - the Baby Jesus!

Pastor went out and spoke to Bobby. "I noticed Baby Jesus was
missing from the manger, Bobby," commented the Pastor, "and now I
see that you have him in your wagon. Would you like to explain to
me why you removed him from the Church?" "Well, Pastor," Bobby
said, "before Christmas I prayed to the Lord for a shiny, new, red
wagon, and I promised Him that he saw fit to get me one, I would
give Him a ride. I had to keep my promise because He keeps His
promises to me. I will put Him back in His manger now; he has had a
long ride."

Luke 18:17 Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter
therein."

Words Some Women Use-A Little Medicine For The Soul's Sake

1. FINE
   This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use "fine" to describe how a woman looks - this will cause you to have one of those arguments. 
   
   
2. FIVE MINUTES
   This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it's an even trade. 
   
   
3. NOTHING
   This means "something," and you should be on your toes. "Nothing" is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards! "Nothing" usually signifies an argument that will last "Five Minutes" and end with "Fine" 
   
   
4. GO AHEAD (With Raised Eyebrows)
   This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over "Nothing" and will end with the word "Fine" 
   
   
5. GO AHEAD (Normal Eyebrows)
   This means "I give up" or "do what you want because I don't care" You will get a "Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead" in just a few minutes, followed by "Nothing" and "Fine" and she will talk to you in about "Five Minutes" when she cools off. 
   
   
6. LOUD SIGH
   This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing" 
   
   
7. SOFT SIGH
   Again, not a word, but a non-verbal statement. "Soft Sighs" mean that she is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe, and she will stay content. 
   
   
8. THAT'S OKAY
   This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. "That's Okay" is often used with the word "Fine" and in conjunction with a "Raised Eyebrow." 
   
   
9. GO AHEAD
   At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble. 
   
   
10. PLEASE DO
    This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance with the truth,so be careful and you shouldn't get a "That's Okay" 
    
    
11. THANKS
    A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say you're welcome. 
    
    
12. THANKS A LOT
    This is much different from "Thanks." A woman will say, "Thanks A Lot" when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way, and will be followed by the "Loud Sigh." Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the "Loud Sigh," as she will only tell you "Nothing"

Paid In Full

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

Believe In Yourself

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren’t the way you had hoped they would be.

That’s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

Take Care Of The Rocks

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining open areas of the jar.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the disposal.”

“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

And God created Teachers

On the 6th day, God created men and women. On the 7th day, he rested. Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare himself for the work he was going to do on the next day. For it was on that day - the 8th day - that God created the FIRST TEACHER.

This TEACHER, though taken from among men and women, had several significant modifications. In general, God made the TEACHER more durable than other men and women. The TEACHER was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no earlier than 11:30 PM with no rest in between.

The TEACHER had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight classroom for six hours with thirty-five "monsters" on a rainy Monday. And the TEACHER had to be fit to correct 103 papers over Easter vacation. Yes, God made the TEACHER tough... but gentle, too. The TEACHER was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the neglected and lonely student... those of the sixteen-year old girl who was not asked to the prom.

And into the TEACHER God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the TEACHER has just repeated for someone else. Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the fourth day in a row. Patience when one-third of the class fails the test. Patience when the text books haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow.

And God gave the TEACHER a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart. For the Teacher's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the classroom at the end of the period without so much as a "goodbye," let alone a "thank you."

And lastly, God gave the TEACHER an abundant supply of HOPE. For God knew that the TEACHER would always be hoping. Hoping that the kids would someday learn how to spell... hoping not to have lunchroom duty... hoping that Friday would come... hoping for a free day... hoping for deliverance.

When God finished creating the TEACHER, he stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the TEACHER was good. Very Good! And God smiled, for when he looked at the TEACHER, he saw into the future.

He knew that the future is in the hands of the TEACHERS. And because God loves TEACHERS so much... on the 9th day God created... SNOW DAYS!

Live

All of us want to do well, but if we do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our grandkids' eyes, the way the melody in a song rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live. I learned to live 10 years ago after a life-altering accident. I learned to love the journey, not just the destination. I learned that life is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous and realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on junk and give it to charity. Help the hurting and those that are down and out.

Learn to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because you believe in it completely and utterly. I've tried to do that by telling others what I have learned as a father, grandfather, pastor, and a Christian. So simply put:

-Consider the lilies of the field. 

-Look at the fuzz on your grandbaby's ear. 

-Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. 

-Learn to be happy. 

-And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.

I'm tired of wasting time-how about you?