Something to think about

I sat down at my computer at the later stages of another long day and decided to check my email while I was shredding paper for puppy bedding. I open up one from my friend Tammy B and this was inside. Well worth reading... may it bless you as it has blessed me. I have no idea who wrote it... if I did I would give credit... so once again the prolific Anonymous has credit...

Breakfast at McDonald's

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, "Smile."

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake,
literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then
even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling".

His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.


I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

H e look ed up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope."

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on
the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE
PEOPLE.

There is an Angel sent to watch over you.

In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over.

An Angel wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head.

To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Life is a journey... with many different views... Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs

A Lesson in Love

Hello…

My friend Colleen sent me this today… it was a blessing to me… so I am passing it on to you…

I’ve been crazy busy… It seems impossible that it’s already November 17th, 2006 but alas it is… I have some wonderful puppies I need to photograph and post… and have been working diligently on my online marketing project. I will be starting to train folks in Veretekk soon. And am focusing on helping others get their businesses up and running… sorting through the chaff that is on the internet. As I help others I am so blessed and my own business grows as well…

God Bless…

Life is a journey … enjoy the trip… Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs

A lesson in love

Carl was a quiet man. He didn't talk much.

He would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake.


Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years, no one could really say they knew him very well.


Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us.


He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII.


Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs, and drug activity.


When he saw the flier at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in hi s characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.


He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened.

He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?"


The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little smile.


As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled.


Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him.


Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast enough to stop it.


"Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the minister kept asking as he helped Carl to his feet.


Carl just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head.


"Just some punk kids. I hope they'll wise-up someday."

His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose. He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water.


Confused and a little concerned, the minister asked, "Carl, what are you doing?"


"I've got to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.


Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Carl was a man from a different time and place.


A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged. Carl again offered them a drink from his hose.


This time they didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water.


When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done.


Carl just watched them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.


The summer was quickly fading into fall Carl was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into some evergreen branches.


As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack.


"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time."

The young man spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he helped Carl get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Carl.


"What's this?" Carl asked.


"It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money in your wallet."

"I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?"


The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it. But every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink.You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate." He stopped for a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back."

He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street.


Carl looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all those years ago.


He died one cold day after Christmas that winter.

Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather.

In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church.


The minister spoke of Carl's garden as a lesson in life.

In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Carl and his garden."


The following spring another flier went up. It read:

"Person needed to care for Carl's garden."


The flier went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at the minister's office door.


Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flier. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the young man said.


The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl.


He knew that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him."


The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Carl had done.


In that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Carl's memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it.


One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, "My wife just had a baby boy last night, and she's bringing him home on Saturday."


"Well, congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys. "That's wond erful! What's the baby's name?"


"Carl," he replied.


That's the whole gospel message simply stated.


Take 60 seconds give this a shot! Let's just see if Satan stops this one.


All you do is:

1. Simply say a small prayer for the person who sent you this.

Father, God bless this person in whatever it is that You know he or she may be needing this day!


2. Then send it on to five other people. Within hours five people have prayed for you, and you caused a multitude of people to pray to God for other people.


Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life for doing the thing that you know He loves.


GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE ANGELS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM TO KNOW THEY ARE THERE

Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time...

I Received this prayer from my Cuz
via email... Thanks Linda

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in
traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day
and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry
and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man
who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college
student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of
not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the
same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a sla ve to
addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old co uple walking annoyingly slow through
the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this
moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last
week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us,
the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with
those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to
us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive,
show patience, empathy and love.

If you send this to 5 people, then you have a chance to touch 5 people.
You won't get any wish for material things, however you might just
fi nd a piece of serenity and the warmth of God's touch.

Working for God on earth doesn't pay much ..... but His retirement plan
is out of this world!

Two Horses

I don't know who the author of this story is... it came to me via email from a dear friend... enjoy

Two Horses

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop
your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner
has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This
alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking
around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from
the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell.
It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is
always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then
slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him
astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops
occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away
just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or
challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us
when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the
little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives Other times we are
the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this .......... You don't always see them,
but you know they are always there. God sees to that. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."


Have a blessed day!

Life is a journey...enjoy the trip... Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs