Thought Provokers

Seven Wonders
A group of students were asked to make a list that they thought were the current Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

Egypt's Great Pyramids
Taj Mahal
Hoover Dam
Panama Canal
Empire State Building
St. Peter's Basilica
China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."
The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:"

to touch
to taste
to see
to hear

She hesitated a little, and then added,

to feel
to laugh
and to love

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and "ordinary" are truly wondrous. A gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought nor are they made with man's hands.
Have a wonderful day...count your blessings.

Rich and Poor
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Oh Yeah" said the son.
"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
With this, the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. What is one's persons worthless object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective. Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty we have instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy in all we have, especially our friends and family.

Judge Me By The Footprints I Leave Behind
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. 'Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me.' 'Sure,' they replied, 'we'd love to meet him.' 'There's something you should know,' the son continued, 'he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.'
'I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.' 'No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.' 'Son,' said the father, 'you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own.' At that point, the son hung up the phone.
The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know. Their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

A Garden For Daily Living
Plant three rows of peas:
Peas of mind
Peas of Heart
Peas of soul
Plant four rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness
Plant four rows of lettuce:
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be Happy
Lettuce Love one another
No garden should be without turnips:
Turnip for service when needed
Turnip to help one another
Turnip the music and dance
We must have thyme:
Thyme for fun
Thyme for rest
Thyme for ourselves
Water freely with patience
and cultivate with love.
There is much fruit in your garden
Because you reap what you sow.

Nothing more cherished than - MOM

When you came into the world, she held you in her arms. You thanked her by wailing like a banshee.
When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you. You thanked her by crying all night long.
When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk. You thanked her by running away when she called.
When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love. You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.
When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons. You thanked her by coloring the dining room table.
When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays. You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud.
When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school. You thanked her by screaming, "I'M NOT GOING!"
When you were 7 years old, she bought you a baseball. You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbor's window.
When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream. You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons. You thanked her by never even bothering to practice.
When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastics to one birthday party after another. You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies. You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.
When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows. You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.
When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming. You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.
When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp. You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug. You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car. You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
When you were 17, she was expecting an important call. You thanked her by being on the phone all night.
When you were 18, she cried at your high school graduation. You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags. You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.
When you were 20, she asked whether you were seeing anyone. You thanked her by saying, "It's none of your business."
When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future. You thanked her by saying, "I don't want to be like you."
When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation. You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.
When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment. You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
When you were 24, she met your fiancée and asked about your plans for the future. You thanked her by glaring and growling, "Muuhh-ther, please!"
When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she cried and told you how deeply she loved you. You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.
When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby. You thanked her by telling her, "Things are different now."
When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday. You thanked her by saying you were "really busy right now."
When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her. You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
And then, one day, she quietly died. And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder. "Rock me baby, rock me all night long." The hand who rocks the cradle ... may rock the world".
Let us take a moment of the time just to pay tribute and show appreciation to the person called MOM though some may not say it openly to their mother. There's no substitute for her. Cherish every single moment. Though at times she may not be the best of friends, may not agree to our thoughts, she is still your mother!!! She will be there for you ... to listen to your woes, your bragging, your frustrations, etc. Ask yourself ... have you put aside enough time for her, to listen to her "blues" of working in the kitchen, her tiredness??? Be tactful, loving and still show her due respect though you may have a different view from hers. Once gone, only fond memories of the past and also regrets will be left. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Love her more than you love yourself. Life is meaningless without her...

The Heelots

From a film from the 1930's starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick titled, "Meet John Doe," Cooper, as a "down and out drifter," is persuaded. for money, to take on a false identity in order to unknowingly further the political ends of a newspaper tycoon. Walter Brennen plays Cooper's "fellow-drifter," and gives his duped friend a warning on what he is about to get himself into. The dialogue is as follows:
I've seen guys like you before, free and happy guys that never had a worry. But they got a hold of some money and went goofy. I've seen plenty of fellas start out with fifty dollars and wind up with a bank account. When you become a guy with a bank account, they gotcha! Yes sir, they gotcha. Who's 'they'? The heelots! What's a heelot? Who are they?
Listen, have you ever been broke? Yes? Alright. You're walking along, not a nickle in your pocket, you're free as a wind, nobody bothers you. Hundreds of people pass you by in every line of business; shoes, hats, automobiles, radios, furniture, everything. They're all nice, lovable people; they let you alone. Then you get a hold of some money and what happens? All those nice, sweet, lovable people become heelots! A lot of heels!!! They begin creeping up on you, trying to sell you something. They get long claws. They get a strangle hold on you. And you squirm and you duck and you hollar and you try to push them away, but you haven't got a chance! They gotcha!
First thing you know you own things. The car for instance. Now your whole life is messed up with a lot more stuff! You get license fees and number plates and gas and oil and taxes and insurance and identification cards and letters and bills and flat tires and dents and traffic tickets and motorcycle cops and court rooms and lawyers and fines and a million and one other things. Then what happens? You're not the free and happy guy you used to be. You have to have money to pay for all those things. So you go after what the other fella's got. And there you are; you're a heelot yourself!!!

No Time for Prayer?
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time."

In Light Of The School Shooting Across America
Where did it begin? Let's see, I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained she didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school, the Bible that says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK.
Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we won't spank them anymore. Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued. And we accepted their reasoning.
Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said, that's a grand idea. Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, that's another great idea.
Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good. And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said we have no problem with that. And someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of children and then stepped further still by making them available on the Internet. And we said they're entitled to their free speech.
And the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. And let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.
Therefore, now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with... "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Dear God, Why didn't you save this little girl in the shooting at our school? Sincerely, Concerned Student. And the reply... Dear Concerned Student: I am not allowed in schools. Sincerely, God.

I Have Your Children
I have come to visit your children and I'm pleased with what I see.
They abuse all kinds of drugs, and are getting drunk with me.
They live as in Sodom and Gomorrah, their minds perverse and blown.
I will claim their souls anytime now, you shouldn't have left them alone.
I am glad you worked long hours, I am glad you were busy a lot.
And it would have been harder to sway them, if you too hadn't been too busy to stop.
At your schools I have been at work, making sex an acceptable game.
You slept while I fought to keep prayer out, To add to your neglectful shame.
You don't seem to notice the witchcraft; I broadcast on your own TV,
"It's just an innocent program," Twitch your nose as they follow me.
Add a couple violent sitcoms, It's funny to see heads blown in two.
Now your little Tommy has his own gun and there's nothing you can do.
They're mine and you cannot reach them; their hearts are cold, hard and black.
I've shown them how to party, with pot, cocaine and crack.
You have been a tremendous help though; I couldn't have done it alone.
If you hadn't forsaken your prayer life, these seeds I could not have sown.
So stay away from the Bible's teachings; don't listen to what God has to say.
Your children are no longer your problem, a price they'll eternally pay.
Without Christ they are mine to devour. Without God, nothing you can do.
Today I will take your children. Tomorrow I will be coming for you.
Sincerely, Satan

Being Under Satan's Yoke: Are you B-U-S-Y?
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.
"So let them go to their churches, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 - 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.
"Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion.
"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"
It was quite a convention. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and to rush here and there. I guess the question is: has the devil been successful at his scheme?

The Enemy Of All Free Men
I am your enemy, your nightmare and your destruction.
I am more powerful than the combined militaries of the world.
I have destroyed more men than all the wars of all nations combined.
I massacre millions of people each and every generation.
I have wrecked more homes than all other causes known to you.
I cause the downfall of the greatest civilizations in history.
I spare no one.
My victims are rich and poor, young and old, strong and weak.
I do not respect color nor creed.
Children shall know me to their eternal sorrow.
I cast my shadow over every thought of man.
I hide in unseen places and I go about my work silently.
You have been warned of my presence, but you do not listen.
I never sleep and I am everywhere you are.
You can not hide.
Illness, revulsion, disease and death follow me and are my friends.
I will give you nothing.
I will take everything you have and then seek more.
I will cause you to turn away from all you once believed in
I will blind your eyes to the sins of your elected leaders
I go where my master orders.
The Prince of Darkness alone sends me into your life.
Once allowed inside, seldom am I asked to leave.
America, won't you please allow me to enter and give me rest.
I will remove all your worries and concerns.
I will take away any concern for individual responsibility.
I will bring you bliss.
I am your friend.
I am Apathy.

Gossip
My name is Gossip. I have no respect for justice.
I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age.
The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.
I flourish at every level of society.
My victims are helpless.
They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no face.
To track me down is impossible; the harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody's friend.
Once I tarnish a reputaion, it is never the same.
I topple governments, wreck marriages, and ruin careers.
I cause sleepless nights, heartaches, and indigestion.
I spawn suspicion and generate grief.
I make innocent people cry in their pillows.
Even my name hisses.
I make headlines and headaches.
Before you repeat a story, ask yourself, Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary? If not - shut up!