Thank you for everything

Enjoy the Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

 When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.

 "While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress".

 What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups." "Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

 Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

 So don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.

13 REASONS FOR LIVING

A TRUE LOVE STORY ***************

One day, I woke up early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah the beauty of God's creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me.

He asked me, "Do you love me?" I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and Savior!" Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?" 

I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't; be able to do, the things that I took for granted.

And I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You." 

Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?" 

How could I love something without being able to see it?  Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. 

So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love you." 

The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?" 

How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood.  Listening to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts.

I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word."

The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?" 

How could I praise without a voice?  Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul.  It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. 

So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."

And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"

With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I loveYou because You are the one and only true God!" 

I thought I had answered well, but...  God asked,”THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?" 

I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect." 

"THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY AWAY THE FURTHEST?  WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU PRAY THE EARNEST?" 

No answers. Only tears. 

The Lord continued: “Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly?  Why ask things so unfaithfully?" 

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks. 

"Why are you ashamed of Me?  Why are you not spreading the good news?  Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when you have the offer of My shoulder to cry on?  Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?" 

I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give. 

"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away.  I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away.  I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain knowledge from it.  I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away.  I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all." 

"DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?" 

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief.  I had no excuse. What could I say to this?  When my heart had cried out and the tears had flown, I said,”Please forgive me Lord" 

The Lord answered, "That is My Grace,” 

I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?" 

The Lord answered, “Because you are My Creation. I will never abandon you.  When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.  When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.  When you are down, I will encourage you.   When you fall, I will raise you up.  When you are tired, I will carry you.  I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever." 

Backyards of Your Dream

A Bucket of Money.......Story with a nice Moral

One fine evening a man walked into a fast-food chicken place and bought a nine-piece bucket of chicken. He took his chicken to the park for a romantic picnic under the moonlight with his lady.

Upon reaching into the bucket, however, he received a surprise. Instead of chicken he discovered what was apparently the restaurant's night deposit--nine thousand dollars. The young man brought the bucket back to the store and asked for his chicken in exchange for the money. The manager, in awe of the young man's honesty, asked for his name and told him he wanted to call the newspaper and the local news station to do a story on him. He would become a local hero, an example of honesty and morality that would inspire others!

The hungry man shrugged it off. "My date's waiting. I just want my chicken."

The manager's renewed amazement over the young man's humility almost overwhelmed him. He begged to be allowed to tell the story on the news. At this the honest man became angry with the manager and demanded his chicken.

"I don't get it," the manager responded. "You are an honest man in a dishonest world! This is a perfect opportunity to show the world that there are honest people still willing to take a stand for what is right. Please, give me your name and also the woman's name. Is that your wife?"

"That's the problem," said the young man. "My wife is at home.The woman in the car is my girlfriend. Now let me have my chicken so I can get out of here."

It's easy to look good to people who don't know you. Many of us do a good deed here and there, go to church, say the right words, and everyone thinks we're something that we're not. But God sees your heart. It really doesn't matter how much you do or what other people think of you. What matters is what's on the inside.

Wasting a good outfit...

we must have faith in our own ideas even if everyone tells us that we are wrong.

There was once a newspaper vendor who had a rude customer. Every morning, the Customer

would walk by, refuse to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor. The vendor would pick up the  money, smile politely and say, 'Thank you, Sir.'

One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, "Why are you always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow?"

The vendor smiled and replied, "He can't help being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should I let his rude behavior dictate my politeness?"          

While you must be open to change, do not compromise on your values.

Mahatma Gandhiji often said, "You must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze."

Values like honesty, integrity, consideration and humility have survived for generations. At the end of the day, it is values that define a person more than the achievements. Do not be tempted by short cuts. The short cut can make  you lose your way and end up becoming the longest way to the destination.