The Miser
Old man Fielding, the miser, at last went to his reward and presented himself at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter greeted him with appropriate solemnity and escorted him to his new abode.
Walking past numerous elegant mansions finally they arrived at a dilapidated shack at the end of the street.
Fielding, much taken aback, began, “Why am I left with a rundown shack when all of these others have fine mansions?”
“Well, sir,” replied St. Peter, “we did the best we could with the money you sent us.”
Quoted from www.cybersaltlists.org email listsThe Greatest Reward
There is an old story about the Greek Marathon. Muscular, conditioned runners paced nervously near the starting line for the long-distance race. The time was near. They “shook out” their muscles, inhaled deeply, and put on their “game faces.”
In the midst of it all, a young stranger took his place at the starting line. His physique was awesome. Taking no notice of the other contestants, he stared straight ahead. Two prizes would be awarded the winner of the Marathon: a magnificent bouquet of flowers and the honor of standing beside the king until the conclusion of other contests.
There seemed to be no question among the runners about who would win the prize. It is alleged that the stranger was offered money not to run. Someone else attempted to bribe him with property. Refusing the offers, he toed the mark and awaited the signal to run. When the signal was given, he was the first away. At the finish line, he was the first to cross, well ahead of the rest.
When it was all done, someone asked the young man if he thought the flowers were worth as much as the money and property he had refused. He replied, “I did not enter the race for the flowers. I ran so that I could stand beside my king!”
Those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ are “running the race” (I Cor. 9:24-25). It is a race that has a prize for those who finish (notice, not those who finish first, but all who finish). This prize, according to Paul, is an “imperishable crown.” The rewards for those who enter heaven are described in scripture with a lot of terms — “many mansions”, “streets of gold”, “tree of life”, and the list goes on and on. All of those things are attractive. That’s why God tells us about them.
But I would be willing to give up all the streets of gold and settle for a small corner of a shack as long as I can know the reward of being able to stand beside my King. That’s what I look forward to more than anything else. It is the one thing that will make heaven the wonderful reward that it will be.
“…The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.” (Rev. 22:3)
Run the race with diligence. Your King is watching and waits for you at the finish line!
Alan Smith – Quoted from CCECstorylist: www.injesus.com/index.php
If I …
If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven? “I asked the children in my Sunday School class. “NO!” the children all answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?” Again, the answer was, “NO!
“”Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!”
“Well, I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?”
A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”
Quoted from funny(at)net153.com email list
Have No Anxiety
One of the most appalling comments on our present way of life is that half of all the beds in our hospitals are reserved for patients with nervous and mental troubles, patients who have collapsed under the crushing burden of accumulated yesterdays and fearful tomorrows. Yet a vast majority of those people would be walking the streets today, leading happy, useful lives, if they had only heeded the words of Jesus: Have no anxiety about the morrow; or the words of Sir William Osler; Live in day-tight compartments.
– Dale CarnegieHappiness Research
More than 60 scientists have been given millions of dollars in funding to help humanity find happiness. A popular movement among psychologists called “positive psychology” is an attempt to elevate and focus its research on peoples’ strengths rather than only trying to deal with human weaknesses and problems.
Although the U.S. standard of living has increased since W.W. II, there is no increase in the number of people who regard themselves as happy. A U.S. News & World Report on the subject says, “Once income provides basic needs, it doesn’t correlate to happiness. Nor does intelligence, prestige, or sunny weather. People grow used to new climates, higher salaries, and better cars.”
Many years and millions of dollars studying and treating depression have succeeded in reducing most people’s levels of sadness, but they are not necessarily happier. Researchers have found that self-esteem, spirituality, family, and good marriages and friendships are key to a happy life. So are hope, meaning, and discovering and pursuing the right goals. Even helping others to be happy can “jump-start a process that will lead to stronger relationships, renewed hope, and a general upward spiraling of happiness.” Just seeing others do a good deed results in that “heartwarming” feeling and influences people to do the same.
Gratitude is another key ingredient to a happy life. People who made a daily and/or frequent practice of being thankful were “not only more joyful; they were healthier, less stressed, more optimistic, and more likely to help others.”
Hope and spirituality work together to provide an important basis to a happy life. “Hope fosters optimism, and faith is, by definition, hope for the future. And the churchgoing form of faith can be a built-in social support network. This is not to say that atheists can’t be happy, but it helps explain why so many do find happiness in faith, and why researchers continue to find connections between faith, optimism, and physical health.”
Holly J. Morris, “Happiness Explained,” U.S. News & World Report (9-03-01), pp. 46-54; submitted by Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, QuebecHalloween: Trick or Treat?
Sayings
Habits are first cobwebs, then cables. – Spanish proverb
Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.
Horace MannHabit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
Mark TwainThe chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.
Sources Unknown
Tougher As They Get Older
An elderly teacher, with a pupil by his side, took a walk through a forest. Suddenly he stopped and pointed to four plants close at hand. The first was just beginning to peep above the ground, the second had rooted itself pretty well into the earth, the third was a small shrub, while the fourth was a full-sized tree. The tutor said to his young companion, ‘Pull up the first plant.’ The boy did so eagerly, using only his fingers.
‘Now pull up the second.’ The youth obeyed but found the task more difficult.
‘Do the same with the third,’ he urged. The boy had to use all his strength to uproot it.
‘Now,’ said the instructor, ‘try your hand with the fourth.’ The pupil put his arms around the trunk of the tall tree and couldn’t even shake its leaves. ‘This, my son, is just what happens with our bad habits. When they are young, we can remove them readily; but when they are old, it’s hard to uproot them, though we pray and struggle ever so sincerely.’”
From the Heidelberg Herald.Nuns In A Fire
Several Nuns were in their second floor convent one night when a fire broke out. The Nuns took their habits off and tied them together to make a rope to get out of the building via the window.
After they were safely on the ground and out of the building, a news reporter came over to one of the Nuns and said to her, “Weren’t you afraid that the habits could have ripped or broke since they are old?
The Nun Replied, “No, don’t you know old habits are hard to break”.We Didn’t Do It!
A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. The two were always getting into trouble and their parents could be assured that if any mischief occurred in their town, their two young sons were in some way involved.
The parents were at their wits’ end as to what to do about their sons’ behavior. The mother had heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children in the past, so she asked her husband if he thought they should send the boys to speak with the clergyman. The husband said, “We might as well. We need to do something before I really lose my temper!”
The clergyman agreed to speak with the boys, but asked to see them individually. The 8-year-old went to meet with him first. The clergyman sat the boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?” The boy made no response, so the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, “Where is God?” Again the boy made no attempt to answer, so the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face, “WHERE IS GOD?”
At that the boy bolted from the room and ran directly home, slamming himself in his closet. His older brother followed him into the closet and said, “What happened?”
The younger brother replied, “We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it!”