Give a Little

In this day and time most people have days filled with plenty of hustle and bustle. There is more than enough set backs and disappointments for everyone.

But I must say there is one thing that continues to grow no mater how much is given away or used. It grows faster than any weed but instead of choking it fuels. It somehow encourages the dreams of children and men and it also has the ability to inspire nations.

I'm talking about love.

Given at the right moment in time love not only has the ability to change the world but create it. You can give it to a complete stranger and have no strings attached (no ulterior motives).

How?:
a quaint hello
a friendly smile
a polite jester
a helpful hand

Just a little brotherly love given at the right moment can help relieve the pressures of a long day. It can also give another person the strength to continue on their journey or redesign the path they've chosen. to take. The cost of helping another is small compared to what you'll receive in return. One of the most precious gifts you could give to another human is love.

So please give a little today :-)

Actions to Ponder

This contribution was made by a very dear Sister named Bridgette Williams. She has a heart of gold and is so quick to lend a helping hand. The author is unknown but I felt it is well worth sharing.

I ran into a stranger as he passed by:

"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told:

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed:

God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

Author Unknown

In a Rut?

Are you moving or functioning day by day without making any progress? No matter what you do or how hard you try to accomplish something you can't seem to finish it. Or maybe it's difficult to get a project started or figure out which direction to go in. Some consider that a rut or a stagnate state of existence.

I would like to offer you another possibility....

This could really be your down time. A season to rejuvenate or have a personal retreat. Most people continue to go and go until their health fails or some tragedy strikes. There is a time and season for everything even a time to refresh and replenish ourselves.

"To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

When it's your season to recoup and refresh yourself (especially when you're building up your inner spirit man), you must be mindful of the time. In fact, it will become very frustrating if you're not able to recognize this. Many people are frantically trying to get involved in things particularly things that don't seem to require much time or effort. There is nothing wrong with helping others or keeping busy but if you're doing this in your season of refreshing you will not be thoroughly refreshed or rejuvenated. It will show up when you're in your busy(productive) season. Often it shows up as the inability to handle stressful situations. People, family, and co-workers will seem to get on your very last nerve.

So to make sure you can :

• help others
• deal with whatever situations that come up in your life
• make progress
• accomplish numerous tasks(especially multi-tasking)

This is your time. A time to find a place to sit and quiet the world around you. Everyone can't find a commercial retreat to go to. So find a place near you. Maybe a park, patio,beach, or just walk around the neighborhood. The place doesn't have to be near you or even far away. It just needs to be a place where you can be by yourself or alone. This doesn't mean you must be the only one there. It just means you won't be there with anyone else.

So remember, you're not in a rut...this is the season to rebuild yourself.