America Is Still Number 1

AMERICA IS STILL #1

The U.S. may have recently lost its title as most obese nation to our neighbours down south in Mexico,(yeah, but there are lots of Mexicans here, too. So maybe US is still can (un)proudly claim that. Yike! but America is still winning in a lot of other not-so-great categories. Our list of ways America is still #1 explores the true essence of what it means to be an American. with stupidity and dumbness for all.

Highest Incarceration Rate
The land of the free? Not unless you count free meatloaf in America's jails. The U.S. boasts the highest incarceration rate of any country, with 730 people imprisoned out of every 100,000. They should be executed once they eat too much meatloaf. It's ridiculous! But some people DO want to be incarcerated because they have free Obamacare, free meatloaf which they can't otherwise afford if they are not in the prison, free a/c during the heat of summer, and free heater during winter storms.

Highest Bipolar Rate
America might just be the Amanda Bynes of the world. In a study of 11 countries, the U.S. proved to have the highest rate of bipolar disorder with 4.4% of citizens receiving diagnoses in their lifetimes. But fret not. Insanity is most common in wealthy countries, showing that the crazier we are, the better it is for America. It's a good thing, right? You don't like your personality, choose another one. It's freedom of choice :)

Wasting Electricity
Leaving the lights on and the AC blasting is as American as it gets, making this country a proud leader in wasting energy. Low energy productivity costs the U.S. $130 billion per year, a staggering amount except when compared to the cost of gasoline for your SUV.

Divorce Rate
The U.S. has an average of 4.95 divorces per every 1,000 people. The bad news is that's a lot of broken homes. The good news is there are plenty of easy targets on the rebound! The more the better :) I don't know about other parts of the US, but I think in California the rate is much higher than that. We counted my son's friends, and we concluded that 6 out of every 10 of them, do not have the same set of parents. How is Canada, Tjhoen?

Drug Use
Put down your pipe and pay attention. America leads the world in cannabis and cocaine usage, which makes for a sad reality but a great database of mug shots. Researchers also found that America leads the world in alcohol and tobacco usage. "Be happy. Don't worry..."

TV Watching
Americans spend way too much time in front of the boob tube. The U.S. is tied with the U.K. for the most TV watching per week, clocking in at an average of 28 hours per person. And that was before the final season of Breaking Bad started!

Teen Moms
With the popularity of shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, America does a stellar job when it comes to glamorizing young moms. So much so, in fact, that the country has the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies of any developed country on Earth. Is that because the news say so? How about other countries that the teen pregnancies must be terminated?

Phishing
We may not have a Nigerian prince who wants to give us a million dollars, but we do lead the world in the number of internet phishing sites with a whopping 24%. It's good to know all that stolen Internet cash is going to our neighbours.

The Most Lawyers Per Capita
No country knows how to sue better than this one, so thank goodness we have tons of attorneys chasing our ambulances. There is one lawyer for every 265 Americans, which may sound like a bad thing unless you sell billboard space.

The Cost Of Having A Baby
In the U.S., that little bundle of joy is going to cost you a big bundle of cash. A standard delivery costs $9,775, which, for mothers not covered by insurance or Medicaid, can be more painful than the labour itself.

Wine Consumption
America is number one in wine drinking, beating out France, Italy and Spain -- a list that includes countries whose citizens start drinking wine at birth. A study shows 12.54% of the world's wine consumption happens in the U.S., presumably by people who've grown immune to excruciating wine hangovers.

Plastic Surgery
The U.S. is the leader in plastic surgery with more than 21.1% of total procedures worldwide taking place within the borders of our country. Turns out the face of the nation is full of Botox and silicone.

Soft Drink Consumption
You want a Big Gulp, a Super Big Gulp or a Super Super Big Gulp? America leads the way in soft drink consumption. Males ages 12-29 are the biggest culprit, ingesting an average of 160 gallons of soda each year. We'd like to buy the world a Coke, if only so it can catch up to our gargantuan soda habit.

We Own The Most (Annoying) Devices
It's no surprise that America is a land where consumption reigns supreme, but this is especially true when it comes to our smartphones, iPads and other gizmos. As of last year, the U.S. led the world with 165 million devices. The biggest problem? Where to charge them all.

Most Twitter Users
There are more Twitter users in the U.S. than in any other country. However, the Netherlands is more active, fronting a competitive race to see which nation can make the most terrible jokes in 140 characters or less. Because in China isn't called Twitter, it's called Weibo.

The Most Millionaires...
Wouldn't it be nice to be uber-rich? Chances are someone you know is a millionaire. In America, there are 5.9 million millionaire-status households. The trick is to find out who they are so you can work your way into their inner circles. In Indonesia they aren't called millionaires, they are called Jutawan, and there are more of them in Indonesia :)

...And the Most Billionaires
Those poor millionaires they have no idea what wealth really means! Alongside the most millionaires, the U.S. also has the highest number of billionaires. Though this is primarily based off what we've heard in rap songs.

Dogs
They may be hairy, loud and messy, but unlike your college room mate who bore the same traits, you love your pet pooch. In the U.S., 37% of all pet-owning households own a dog. Because they feed them, in other countries they eat them.

Cats
Cats aren't just for old spinsters any more. The U.S. is the world cat leader with more than 76 million pet felines in households across the country. And every single one of them has a video on YouTube.

Crowdfunding
Can't raise money for your weird peanut butter and jelly-themed avant-garde art installation? Make your friends pay for it! That's the logic behind crowd funding, which has risen in popularity in recent years. The U.S. leads the world in friend and family-funded projects with 72% of global crowd funding projected to come from America in 2013. Rule of thumb: Don't do business with your family or friends. That's the fastest way to lose them, unless that IS your intention.

Roller Coasters
Americans aren't afraid of a wild ride. The U.S. boasts a whopping 650 coasters, including 464 sit-down coasters and 44 inverted coasters. Now if only we could bring our guns along for the rides. Yes, you can in some states.

Worker Productivity
In spite of the lazy American stereotype, U.S. citizens stay longer in the office than those in most other nations and produce more money per person. Unfortunately, the study doesn't say how much of that time is just our workers playing Candy Crush on Facebook. Yeah, exactly! And how many of them are just in the office to stay away from their nagging spouses?

Trust His Heart

"Trust His Heart"

All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don't see Him
Remember you're never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart

He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him

He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you

The Two Wolves

The Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that was going on inside himself.

He said, "My son, it is between 2 wolves. One is evil: Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority and ego... The other is good: Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith..."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

A Week With Jesus

Monday

Wash Day

Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday

Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday

Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday

Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday

Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday

Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday

The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

Your Hand In Prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to ones to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom for pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger, the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

When you find it hard to get to sleep tonight; Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

When you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

When you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.

When you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

When you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for $15.00 to feed her family.

When your car breaks down, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

When you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

When you find yourself at a loss, and pondering what is life all about, what is my purpose, be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

When you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember, things could be worse. You could be them.

Butterfly Kisses

We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty.

He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside of it?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy it's not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Choices

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply,

'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, 'I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time.
How do you do it?'

Jerry replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.'

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested. 'Yes, it is,' Jerry said.
'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood.

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the  hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?' I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. 'The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,' Jerry replied. 'Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.' 'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked. Jerry continued, '....the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a deadman.' I knew I needed to take action.' '

What did you do?' I asked. 'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said Jerry. She asked if I was allergic to anything.

'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

The Fern and The Bamboo

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo.. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

Walking Through Life

An unusual thing happened to me a few years ago. I spoke casually with a woman who served tables at a restaurant I frequented. We knew each other by first name only, but usually chatted for a few minutes each time I dined there.

One day, she asked me, “Do you have a son about eight years old?”

'What has he done?' I thought. I nodded yes.

She pressed on. “Does he play soccer?”

When I said that he did, she asked if he played in a game the previous week at a particular field. Again, I answered, “Yes.”

“I thought so,” she smiled. “I saw him and thought he must be your son.”

Since there were tens of thousands of young boys in the city, I was amazed and exclaimed, “I didn't know he looked that much like me!”

“Oh, I didn't see his face,” she said smiling as if she were keeping a secret.

“Then how did you know he was my son?” Now I was puzzled.

“I was just sitting in the car, and I saw a little boy in a baseball cap walking across the field to join his team. He walks like you.”

Walks like me? Now I was curious. How do I walk? Since I'm doing the walking, I don't notice how I look to others. Maybe I could watch him amble around to get an idea.

That said, how we walk down a street and how we walk through life are very different things. Perhaps I can't help how I walk down a street, but I want to be intentional about how I walk through life.

Through life, I want to walk gently. I want to treat all of life – the earth and its people – with reverence. I want to remove my shoes in the presence of holy ground. As much as possible, I want to walk in peace.

I want to walk lightly, even joyfully, through whatever days I am given. I want to laugh easily. I want to step carefully in and out of people's lives and relationships. I don't want to tread any heavier than necessary.

And throughout life, I think I would like to walk with more humility and less anger, more love and less fear. I want to walk confidently, but without arrogance. I want to walk in deep appreciation. I want to be genuinely thankful for life's extravagant, yet simple, gifts – a star-splattered night sky or a hot drink on an ice-cold day.

If life is a journey, then how I make that journey is important. How I walk through life.

But still I wonder how I look when I walk down a street.

One Bible, One Religion, One World

Christianity
One Christ, One Bible, One Religion

BUT,
 the Latin Catholic will not enter Syrian Catholic Church.
These two will not enter 
Marthoma Church.
These three will not enter 
Pentecost Church.
These four will not enter 
Salvation Army Church.
These five will not enter 
Seventh Day Adventist Church.
These six will not enter 
Orthodox Church.
These seven will not enter 
Jacobite church.


Like there are 146 castes in Kerala alone, and each will not go to the other's church to pray.....!

So much for  One Christ, One Bible, One Jehova.....
What a unity!
Islam:
One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi....!


AND ALL MUSLIMS CALL THEMSELVES BROTHERS!


BUT, 
Shia and Sunni cannot see eye to eye and kill each other anywhere and everywhere.

The 
Shia will not go to Sunni Mosque.
These two will not go to 
Ahamadiya Mosque.
These three will not go to 
Sufi Mosque.
These four will not go to 
Mujahiddin mosque...

There are 13 castes in Muslims and these brothers can't share their places of worship.

The brothers have been killing, conquering and fighting each other in the name of Islam for the last 500 years,
 since the day Islam existed...!

They have never been or never will be at peace with Jews or Christians in the name of religion,
 yet all 3 pray to the same God of Abraham.

The American attack of Iraq and Afghanistan is fully supported by all the Muslim countries around them!


One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi....!

Great unity!

All Muslims are not Terrorists, but most Terrorists are Muslims.
and 60% of all victims of Muslim terrorism are Muslims.
THEY ARE KILLING THEMSELVES IN THE NAME OF RELIGION.
Hindus
1,280 Religious Books, 
10,000 Commentaries, 

more than one lakh sub-commentaries 

for these foundation books, 

330 million gods, 

variety of Aacharyas, 

thousands of Rishies, 

hundreds of languages...
still everyone goes to the
SAME TEMPLE ...
Hindus never quarreled each other for the last ten thousand years in
the name of religion.

Only Politicians had tried to divide and rule.
     
Buddhism:
Buddhism is the world's first religion
Fourth-largest religion behind Chistianity, Islam and Hinduism
Buddhism is both a religion and philosophy as claimed.
largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama
Three concepts, Karma, Rebirth, Samsara
They classify themselves as Theravada or Mahayana
Both accept the Buddha as their teacher
Both accept the Middle way, Dependent origination, Four Noble Truths,
Noble Eightfold Path and Three marks of existence
Both accept that members of the laity and of the sangha can pursue the path toward enlightenment (Bodhi)
Both consider buddhahood to be the highest attainment
They do not believe that this world is created and ruled by a God
They consider that the purpose of life is to develop compassion for all living beings without discrimination
and to work for their good, happiness and peace
and to develop wisdom leading to the realization of the Ultimate Truth
So , I Googled "what" is a Freethinker, and found the following
Freethought or free thought is a philosophical viewpoint which holds that positions regarding truth should be formed on the basis of logicreason, and empiricism, rather than authority,tradition, or other dogmas.[1][2][3] The cognitive application of freethought is known as "freethinking", and practitioners of freethought are known as "freethinkers".[1][4]
Freethought holds that individuals should not accept ideas proposed as truth without recourse toknowledge and reason. Thus, freethinkers strive to build their opinions on the basis of facts,scientific inquiry, and logical principles, independent of any logical fallacies or the intellectually limiting effects of authorityconfirmation biascognitive biasconventional wisdompopular cultureprejudicesectarianismtraditionurban legend, and all other dogmas. Regarding religion, freethinkers hold that there is insufficient evidence to support the existence of supernaturalphenomena.[5]
A line from "Clifford's Credo" by the 19th-century British mathematician and philosopher William Kingdon Clifford perhaps best describes the premise of freethought: "It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence."

What God Can Do For You

Little Boy's Explanation of God -- Fabulous!!!

Out of the mouths of Babes--
"And a Little Child Shall Lead them"

(I certainly don't think any adult could explain this more beautifully!)

THIS IS FABULOUS!!!

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
(And he had such an assignment, in California, and someone published it... I guess miracles do happen!)

EXPLANATION OF GOD: 'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.'

   'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.'

    'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.'

    'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.'

    'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.'

    'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.'

    'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'

    'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

    Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.'

    'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.'

    'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God.'


Never Be Afraid to Try Something New

PEARLS

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy, can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere-Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's Daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first... so He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.

What are you hanging on to?

Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.

The Mouse Trap

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a mouse trap. Retreating to the farmyard the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!
"The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!" "I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow. She said,
"Like wow, Mr. Mouse. A mouse trap. Like I am in grave danger. Duh...NOT!"

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mouse trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well and a few days later she passed away. So many people came for her funeral, that the farmer had the cow slaughtered, to provide meat for all of them to eat. So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember
that when there is a mouse trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

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