The window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.The men talked for long hours. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, and where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man by the window could sit up, he would tell his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

His companion looked forward to those one-hour periods where his world would be enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As the man by the window described all this in detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the wonderful scene.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the man by the window died peacefully in his sleep. The other man asked if he could be moved next to the other bed by the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up to take his first look at the real world outside. He slowly turned to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his roommate who just died to describe such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you" There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. You may be facing a wall now – something that’s keeping you from being happy. But God invites you to find a window there. And that window is faith in God’s wonderful purpose in any and in every situation we may be in.

the gift of joy

Many people spend a lot of money to find happiness. You may have heard someone say, "Oh, if I could only have this or that, I would be the happiest person in the world!"

In the Bible King David writes - "...In Your presence is fullness of joy;..." (Psalm 16:11). Jesus is the One who gives us joy. So then how come not too many people enjoy it?

Here’s a story to learn from today…

At the end of World War I conditions in Europe were deplorable. Many people were hungry, homeless, and without jobs. Such was the case of this family. Father did not return from the war and the family struggled to stay alive.

The brave widow one day heard about America, and she determined that she and her three children would someday go there. The family worked together to earn enough money for one ticket. It took a while, but finally the oldest son was on his way. Two years later the younger brother and his sister left for America.

Mother was left alone. One day a large envelope arrived from America, and almost overwhelmed the mother tore it open. There was the longed for ticket!

The day of departure came--what a happy and expectant mother! She looked forward to the reunion with her children. She realized, of course, that the trip to America would take a few more days, and she wondered how she would be able to pay for her meals. She had brought along some crackers and ate some each day. The day came when she had only a few crumbs left. She could smell all the wonderful food that was being prepared. Finally, being very hungry, she begged the steward to allow her to help with his cleaning in exchange for food from the kitchen. He checked her ticket and exclaimed, "Madam, you don't have to scrub floors. All your meals are included with your ticket!" ---- Jesus wants to give you the gift of joy – all you have to do is receive Him and receive his promised joy. No matter what is happening in your life presently, He is offering you joy to the fullest. Maybe you don’t have much materially, maybe you lost your possessions in a disaster or failed business, or perhaps you are having problems with your loved ones or your family is breaking up. Or maybe you have lost your job or couldn’t find one. Whatever the circumstance, you can still have the joy of His presence at all times. When you have Jesus, you have everything.

20 ways to a happier you

Here are 20 simple and straightforward practices that will put you on the road to happiness: 1. Smile Frequently: Studies also show that when we smile, we feel better and can actually make us feel better and help us to see the lighter side of things. A cheerful heart does good like a medicine. 2. Be Content: Happiness has little to do with what we possess materially. Contentment comes from enjoying life as we live it – even the little inconveniences we meet every day. Godliness with contentment is great gain. See what you have, not what you lack. 3. Live In The Present: Do not dwell on past problems – or let your mind linger on how the other person was nasty to you. Stop worrying about future concerns in your life. Such thoughts leave us anxious and frustrated, and depressed. They take our minds off whatever we are doing and do not let us enjoy the present. Forget the past and reach forward to what is ahead. 4. Plan Things You Can Look Forward To: Don’t get stuck in the routine. Do some new and interesting things so you won’t get bored. Maybe you can surprise your spouse with a tasty candlelight dinner one evening. Or go out with your friends for a picnic. 5. Don't Try To Compete With Your Neighbors: Sometimes we have this habit of comparing ourselves with other people and their status or compare our accomplishments with others. Jealousy hurts, angers, depresses, builds up stress, and leaves us feeling inadequate and inferior. 6. We Are What We Are: Learn to accept yourself. God made you everyone with unique strengths and challenges. Identify yours, set your goals for fulfilling your dreams, and get going. 7. It Is As It Is: There are things you can’t do anything about. A mistake has been made, the plan has been delayed, something has been broken and you cannot change it. All you can do is: accept it and go on with life. Optimism means turning something that seems all bad into something good – it’s knowing all things will work out for good somehow. 8. Don't Procrastinate: When we keep jobs pending, we live under stress. 9. Keep Things In Perspective: Whether it is being late for a meeting, a messy room, garbage thrown by the neighbors, a traffic jam, we usually tend to overreact. We yell and may damage our relationship with our helper, our colleague, our neighbor, or anyone else involved. So, accept life's quirks as they come, put things in perspective and become happier. 10. Take Out Time For Yourself: Being alone gives us a chance to think quietly. Take time out to talk with God everyday. It enables us to be at peace with ourselves and makes us happier. 11. Create a peaceful environment: When we live and work in a properly arranged environment, it is much easier to develop and maintain a positive attitude. 12. Be Less Reactive. Anger makes it impossible for you to think rationally. 13. Bring Humor Into Your Life. Share jokes with your family, watch a humorous film, and tell your colleagues funny incidents. 14. Accept People As They Are. Do accept people as they are. Once others see your unconditional love for them, they will try their best to do things that will please you. 15. Be Grateful: Let people know that you genuinely appreciate all that they do for you. Gratitude will enable you to appreciate, rather than struggle. 16. Stop Blaming Others: 17. Make Someone Else's Day Happier. Everyday, resolve to so at least one thing that will make someone else happy. These little unnoticed acts of kindness, will make you feel good inside. 18. Tell Your Family And Friends That You Love Them. Say what you feel to your loved ones and you will be filled with an inner peace and confidence on hearing them say the same words to you. 19. Keep A Diary: Keep a diary and pen with you. Make a habit of writing down all the good things that happen to you during the day. The positive feeling comes back whenever we revisit happy moments through our diary. 20. Get In Touch With Old Friends:Meeting dear old ones de-stresses us and makes up for all irritants and setbacks in our life.

A few wise words on happiness… No one can go back and make a new start Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain But he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, light for the way. Disappointments are like road bumps They slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth roads afterward. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you. when something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means there's a purpose to life's events you can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved the rest is up to the person to realize your worth the measure of love is when you love without measure in life there are very rare chances that you'll meet you love and loves you in return so once you have it, take care of it - the chance might never come your way again. it's better to lose your pride to the one you love than to lose the one you love because of pride. we spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those who love us, instead, we should be perfecting the love we give when you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you correct the mistakes, you accept the faults and you overlook the excuses. Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place.

Happiness... We think that life will be better after we get married. Then when we get married, we convince ourselves that we'll be happy after we have a baby. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we are sure things will be better when they are. After that, we are frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of THAT stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, then when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It is best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. There is a famous quote from Alfred D Souza: "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business or a debt to be paid. Then life would surely begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles WERE my life". So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get separated, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off… to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. ---- There is no key to happiness--the door is always open!

Larry & Joan

Larry and Joan struggled to make ends meet and they fought a lot.  They talked often about what was wrong with their marriage and kept blaming each other.  Then one day, an extraordinary event took place.

 

One day, Larry said, 'You know, Jo ann, I have a magic chest of drawers.  Every time I open them, they're full of socks and underwear.  I want to thank you for filling in my drawers with socks and underwear all these years.

 

Jo ann stared at her husband over the top of her classes, 'What do you want, Larry''

 

'I just want you to know I appreciate those magic drawers.'

 

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.'' 

 

Jo ann shook her head and went back to her mending.  What's wrong with him'  She thought.

 

She tried to ignore it, 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 thousand meals for me and the kids.'

Then, he'd say, 'Wow Joan the house looks great!' and 'Thanks, Jo ann, for just being you.  I really enjoy your company.'

 

Jo ann was growing worried.  Where's the sarcasm, the criticism' 

 

But Jo ann's step was now a little lighter. 

That would be the end of the story except one day another 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 never revealed the reason for his dramatic change of behavior, but it's one I'm

thankful to live with.    You see'  I'm Jo ann.    

 

That was taken from the book 365 moments to cherish, an excerpt from an article written by Jo ann Larsen in the Desert News.

Ten Commandments for a Successful Marriage

Source: 365 moments to cherish:

 

1.      Put your mate before your mother, your father, your son and daughter, for your mate is your lifelong companion.

2.      Do not abuse your body with excessive food, tobacco, drugs or drink, so that your life may be long and healthy, in the presence of those you love.

3.      Do not permit your business or your hobby or your recreation to make you a stranger to your children, for the most precious gift a parent can give his or her family is the gift of time.

4.      Do not forget that cleanliness is a virtue.

5.      Do not make your mate into a beggar, but willingly share with him or her your worldly goods and possessions.

6.      Remember to say, 'I love you.'  For even though your love may be a constant, your mate yearns to hear those words from you more than any others.  Say it often.

7.      Remember always that the approval of your mate is worth more than the admiring glances of a hundred strangers, so remain faithful and loyal to your mate, and forsake all the others.

8.      keep your home in good repair, keep your marriage alive, for out of it come the joys of old age, together.

9.      forgive with grace.   For who among us does not need to be forgiven and often?

10. honor the Lord your God all the days of your life, and your children and grandchildren will grow up and also bless you.

 

We might need to add commandment no. 11:  You shall not hit your mate over the head with these commandments, but the keeping of these will be a willing act of love.

the officer's wife

Officer's Wife

 

 

A military officer's wife was close to a mental breakdown.  The psychiatrist prescribed that his wife be admitted to the local mental hospital.  The officer was stunned.  He didn't know how to help her so he asked for the advice of a pastor.  The pastor advised him to allow his wife to sit in his lap and let share her true feelings about him.

 

So he followed this advice.  At first he was really having a hard time and he wondered if it was going to work at all.  The things she was telling him were hurting him so much.  It was hurting him to hear her say all the things he thought he was doing to weaken their marriage. 

 

As she was talking, the telephone rang.  She was angry because she thought he wouldn't return.  But what her husband said to the person on the phone kept her from a breakdown.  

 

He simply said, 'Sir, could someone else take that assignment tonight?  I'm in the middle of a very important time with my wife.  It's serious and I really don't want to leave at this point'.

 

The military officer proved to his wife that she was of high value to him.  As a result, her mental condition stabilized and she never had to go to the hospital.

marriage

It's rough.  It's tough.  It's work.

Anybody who says it isn't

Has never been married

Marriage has far bigger problems

Than toothpaste squeezed

From the middle of the tube.

 

Marriage means

Grappling, aching, struggling

It means putting up

With personality weaknesses

Accepting criticism

And giving each other freedom to fail

It means sharing deep feelings

About fear and rejection

It means turning self-pity into laughter

And taking a walk to gain self-control.

 

Marriage means

Gentleness and joy

Toughness and fortitude

Fairness and forgiveness

And a great amount of sacrifice

 

Marriage means

Learning when to say nothing

When to keep talking

When to push a little

When to back off

It means acknowledging

I can't be God to you

I need Him, too.

 

Marriage means...

You are the other part of me

I am the other part of you

We'll work through

With never a thought of walking out

 

 

 

Marriage means

Two imperfect mates

Giving totally

In partnership with a perfect God

Marriage, my love, means us.

if a child lives

If A Child Lives With. . . by Dorothy Law Nolte If a child lives with criticism. . . . . . . .he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility. . . . . . . . he learns to fight. If a child lives with fear. . . . . . . .he learns to be apprehensive. If a child lives with ridicule. . . . . . . .he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame. . . . . . . .he learns to feel guilt. If a child lives with tolerance. . . . . . . .he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement . . . . . . . .he learns to be confident. If a child lives with praise. . . . . . . .he learns to be appreciative. If a child lives with acceptance. . . . . . . .he learns to love. If a child lives with approval. . . . . . . .he learns to like himself. If a child lives with recognition . . . . . . . .he learns that it is good to have a goal. If a child lives with honesty. . . . . . . .he learns what truth is. If a child lives with fairness. . . . . . . .he learns justice. If a child lives with security. . . . . . . .he learns to trust in himself and others . If a child lives with friendliness. . . . . . . .he learns the world is a nice place in which to live.

Like Father Like Son

Like Father, like Son There once was a poor Scottish farmer named Fleming. One day Fleming heard a voice crying for help. He dropped his tools and ran to the where the voice was coming from. A boy had fallen on quicksand and was screaming as he struggled to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, an elegantly dressed nobleman visited Farmer Fleming and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. The nobleman said, I want to repay you for saving my son’s life. "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. I will send your son to school. I want him to have the same education my son has. If this boy is like his father, then I’m sure he’ll grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did. Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. The farmer’s son went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? You guessed it, Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill. God never overlooks a kind act. Fathers - you may not be able to leave your kids with land titles – but you can always leave them with good values. We would like to congratulate every father listening now who has done just that. In God’s time, your hard work will pay off.

Dad can see

Fathers have the tremendous ability to inspire their kids like no one can. Like this young boy in this story. This young boy loved football with all his heart. He gave his best in every practice, but because he was skinny and short, he was never good at it. In all the games, this athlete just sat on the bench. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering and never missed a game. All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always with him, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team. The coach admitted him because he noticed that he always puts his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, inspired the other members. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. One day during their practice before the big game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. You don’t have to come back for the game on Saturday." Saturday came, and the game was not going well. Their team was lagging behind. Then the young man came and asked if he could play. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. The coach thought – ah! There’s no way I would let my worst player in this game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." During the game, the coach, the players and everyone could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He played like a star. Because of him, their team won. His team mates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard. Finally, after everyone had left, the coach came to the young man and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my Dad died, but did you know that he was blind?" "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!

Gen. McArthur's prayer

This is the prayer of Gen. Douglas McArthur for his son. Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is a afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know You - and know that to know You and himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not for the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength. Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain. © Douglas MacArthur

two stories

Story # 1 Our first story is about a lawyer named Eddie. Eddie worked for a man Al Capone who was involved in a crime syndicate and making huge profits from his illegal business. He was called Easy Eddie, because with Eddie’s skill in legal maneuvering, he kept his boss out of jail even if everybody knew he was guilty. Eddie was well-paid so Eddie’s family enjoyed a lot of luxuries. They lived a mansion and Eddie was willing to give anything to and for his son – whom he loved dearly. The price was not an issue. But there was something Eddie knew he could not leave his son – and that was a good name. He wanted his son to grow into a better man than he was. He didn’t want his son to grow up like him. So one day, he decided to clean up his acts. He knew it would be risky, but he testified against his boss, Al Capone. Less than a year later, Eddie was riddled with bullets. But as he lay there facing death – he knew that he had left his son the legacy of courage. ---- Story number two. The United States honors many World War 2 heroes. One of them was a man named Butch O’Hare. O’Hare was tasked on a mission. But while he was flying, he noticed that his tank was not full and his fuel would not be enough if he didn’t fly back to their mother ship right away. So he turned back to return to the ship. On his way, he saw a squadron of Japanese of planes about to attack their fleet. O’Hare had a dilemma. He knew there wasn’t enough time to warn the American fleet. Even though his personal safety was at risk, and his fuel may not be enough, he attacked the planes in the squadron. He successfully diverted the Japanese planes and prevented the attack. O’Hare was later given the honors due a brave fighter like him. In fact, an airport was named after him – the O’Hare Airport in Chicago. So, what is the relationship between the two stories? O’Hare is the son of Easy Eddie. Eddie had passed on a legacy of courage to O’Hare that eventually made him a hero.

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