What Really is Important in Life

Just a reminder of what really is important in life!!!

Shoes in Church

I showered and shaved................ I adjusted my tie.

I got there and sat................ In a pew just in time.

Bowing my head in prayer............ As I closed my eyes.

I saw the shoe of the man next to me....... Touching my own. I sighed.

With plenty of room on either side......... I thought, 'Why must our soles touch?'

It bothered me, his shoe touching mine.. But it didn't bother him much.

A prayer began: 'Our Father'............. I thought, 'This man with the shoes, has no pride. They're dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse, there are holes on the side!'

'Thank You for blessings,' the prayer went on.

The shoe man said................. A quiet 'Amen.'

I tried to focus on the prayer....... But my thoughts were on his shoes again..

Aren't we supposed to look our best. When walking through that door?

'Well, this certainly isn't it,' I thought, glancing toward the floor.

Then the prayer was ended............ And the songs of praise began.

The shoe man was certainly loud..... Sounding proud as he sang.

His voice lifted the rafters........ His hands were raised high.

The Lord could surely hear.. The shoe man's voice from the sky.

It was time for the offering........ And what I threw in was steep.

I watched as the shoe man reached.... Into his pockets so deep.

I saw what was pulled out.......... What the shoe man put in.

Then I heard a soft 'clink' as when silver hits tin.

The sermon really bored me.......... To tears, and that's no lie.

It was the same for the shoe man.... For tears fell from his eyes.

At the end of the service........ As is the custom here.

We must greet new visitors, And show them all good cheer.

But I felt moved somehow........... And wanted to meet the shoe man.

So after the closing prayer........ I reached over and shook his hand.

He was old and his skin was dark..... And his hair was truly a mess......

But I thanked him for coming.......... For being our guest...

He said, 'My name’s Charlie............ I'm glad to meet you, my friend.'

There were tears in his eyes......... But he had a large, wide grin..

'Let me explain,' he said.............. Wiping tears from his eyes.

'I've been coming here for months...... And you're the first to say 'Hi.''

'I know that my appearance...........Is not like all the rest.

'But I really do try....................To always look my best.'

'I always clean and polish my shoes...Before my very long walk.'

'But by the time I get here........They're dirty and dusty, like chalk.'

My heart filled with pain............ And I swallowed to hide my tears.

As he continued to apologize........... For daring to sit so near

He said, 'When I get here............ I know I must look a sight.'

'But I thought if I could touch you....Then maybe our souls might unite.'

I was silent for a moment.............. Knowing whatever was said

Would pale in comparison.... I spoke from my heart, not my head.

'Oh, you've touched me,' I said.......'And taught me, in part'

'That the best of any man..............Is what is found in his heart.'

The rest, I thought,................ This shoe man will never know.

Like just how thankful I really am.... That his dirty old shoe touched my soul

You are special to me and you have made a difference in my life. 

I respect you, and truly cherish you.

Remember, everyone needs a friend.

Someday you might feel like you have no friends at all. 

Just remember this e-mail and take comfort in knowing 

that someone out there cares about you.

Live each day as your last, 

for we never know our time here on earth. 

Love and Peace My Friends

 and remember 

that it is not how we look on the outside 

but how we look within.

Fighting Darkness With Darkness Only Creates More Darkness.

Representatives For Social Consciousness

The moment terrorists had entered into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, history was already unfolding before our eyes. Once the terrorists piloting the airliner had the twin towers in their sights, it was already too late. When it comes to understanding the true, metaphysical origins of terrorism, war, genocide and evil, it is too late to grasp the root cause after the blood has been spilled.  We can never prevent abominable chaos from occurring in the first place by addressing the terror after it has already happened.

When catastrophe strikes, the sentence and decree of judgment has already been executed and now the entire tragedy with all of its implications lies in the domain of first responders, police, governments, hospitals, undertakers, the media, therapists, doctors, prescription meds and tranquilizers all of which are designed to help us cope with -- but not cure -- the pain and unspeakable suffering that has afflicted our world and our lives.

This particular domain of coping with horrific tragedy lies outside the scope of spiritual doctrine. Thankfully, there are plenty of caring and sharing people who come to the aid of others to help them through trauma and unspeakable suffering.

It's interesting to note that the course of human development and texuralized, codified spiritual movements took great evolutionary progress  some 4000 years ago. Most spiritual paths have always addressed the root cause of any problem for the sole purpose of preventing it from happening to begin with the intent of curing. Not coping.

But the cure hurts.

And because it hurts so much, the organized religious establishment, to a large degree, throughout history, feared the promotion of advanced literacy and social progress.

THE STRUCTURE OF REALITY
There are two levels of reality:

Cause and Effect.

The so called "metaphysical" reality and physical reality.

The realm of pure consciousness and the world of matter and mechanics.

What ever happens in our physical world is always an effect and never the cause. The cause lies in the domain of human consciousness. Consciousness creates our reality.

This is how it works:

The human body is made up of both realities, the Cause and the Effect.

Consciousness (not intellect), or soul, is the major cause level.

The intellect, governed by the ego and the desires of the human body is the minor cause level, the realm of effect.

A human being's free will is to either listen to the urges of the body and ego, or to seek change and allow the will of our soul to shine through. This is a difficult task by design as the ego has been given full control over our true consciousness and it hides it, like a blackout curtain, so that only the ego is heard in our mind.

The ego has full control over the microphone, impelling us all day long with self-centered desires and bombarding every moment with self-centered thoughts, fears, jealousy, insecurity, anger and rage.

Unleashing the power of our soul is what life on earth is all about. Struggling to silence the ego and find our true consciousness is the very meaning of life. But our ego conceals this truth as well.

The world is set up the exact same way. Humanity is one unified body and soul.

The soul of humanity has but one single lofty purpose. Getting rid of the ego consciousness. Unleash the beauty of the soul. Give instead of take. share instead of receive. Impart instead of horde. Let go instead of hanging on. Be accountable, not a victim.

When individual people allow their own ego to rule over their soul, this is mirrored in the world. This is mirrored in our politics as well. It's why some nations seek to rule over other nations. Some religions seek to destabilize or eradicate other religious faiths. When our ego abuses our soul, then the manifestation of ego on these levels brings abuse to the rest of humankind.

When we allow our ego to damage our soul; then national, cultural and religious ideology will damage our world.

When religious ideology allows for selfishness, and the blind sightedness of ego to control it, then the only result is for the desire of destruction. Why is this? It's the need to control the other.

When the selfish intent of our ego manifests doctrinally, then negative militant, radicals seek to rule over the relatively peaceful majority.

So the worst of the worst wind up making all the headlines and bring darkness into our midst. Let's be clear about this: if ego manifests and manipulates itself under the guise of a religious organization, legal and political establishments are under the rule of the darkness; it's our fault. Everyone is at fault. Not just "their" fault.

This is a harsh truth.

So what can explain why many true inspirational spiritual leaders are also despised?

When a great terrorist act occurs, as far back as 2000 years ago, when Jerusalem was turned into bones and blood and the second temple was crushed, the spiritual council of Judaism, at that time laid the blame, not on the Romans, but on the Jews. The Romans were the effect. The current Dalai Lama said the same when the Chinese invaded Tibet and sacked Potola Palace in Lahsa; that human behavior and self-interest and egocentric envy and intolerance was the cause.

Let's put it into simpler terms.

Most great traditions say that our collective soul is actually the heart of the body of humanity. The fabrications of the mind are like the various organs of the body. When the heart fails to furnish the body with blood flow, there is a heart attack or stroke or gangrene. This is the cause of terrorism. Period.

Terrorism is a spiritual heart attack or stroke. Hatred and terrorist cells are gangrene and disease caused by blockages in the spiritual arteries by the bad fats, which is the ego. The ego is the fat that clogs our spiritual arteries causing disease.

There is a lack of Light-Flow (Spiritual blood-flow) because the heart, isn't not transforming and we humans aren't performing our role as spiritual beings, light givers to all the nations of the world.

This is caused by the lack of conscious insight in the most organized religions to reveal the soul. For example, if one takes the Bible literally, without understanding the metaphoric implications as a way to establish moral codes, then he is in the domain of the 1% body, the domain of ego and this is the lowest level of consciousness possible.

Consciousness of the soul means we question and probe beneath the literal scriptural texts and find sublime spiritual truths and insights that will unify all of mankind and bring forth genuine, metaphysical Light that will banish the darkness that dwells in the human heart. Only then will the purpose of the scriptural texts be revealed, which is to wage war on one's own ego, not on one's external enemy.

However, it takes work. If paradise and a peaceful planet were given to us as though it were a free lunch, we would be nothing but automatons, charity-cases, the recipients of  a divine charitable hand-out. And that cannot possibly create a happy contented, free willed thinking human being. It just won't work. It's not our nature.

The truth in any form or situation isn't hidden from us, but you must seek it out, like an explorer.  You must earn it by desiring to take the challenge. A process of self discovery.

THE TRUTH BEHIND DARKNESS

Being the very cause, creators and discoverers of truth, and seeking, the peace and the unending pleasure that we all desire is far better than just being a charitable recipient of a handout.

This is the greatest gift that was given to humankind; having the ability to create the very existence that we are destined to receive.

Think about it. Is there a better joy when we build a business from scratch and make a fortune? Is there anything more delightful and meaningful for a scientist than to discover something like the laws of physics instead of it being downloaded into our brain at birth? Is there anything more rewarding and thrilling than writing a best-selling novel that blows the minds of readers around the world? Or being the inventor of the computer, the wheel and the light bulb?

Succeeding by our own effort is the sweetest gift of all. And so it is with the truth of life because that truth, or a comprehensive understanding of human nature has the power to lead to the understanding of existence. Therefore it is the most difficult truth to find.

TWO WAYS TO UNITY

There is a lot of spectacular unity unfolding now in France, just as unity swept the United States for a few weeks after 9/11.

But then it left.

There were articles written just a few weeks later about the firefighters of New York were arguing and fighting with the police on a street corner in Manhattan. When 9/11 struck, there were no more Democrats or Republicans. Everyone was an American. Just like today, everyone is Charlie and everyone is a citizen of France.

A few short weeks after 9/11, self-interest returned to America and partisan politics returned, dividing this nation like never before in history.

There are two ways to taste the sweetness of unity:

1. Unspeakable horror shakes us to our bone and suddenly we feel a kinship with our fellow-man and unite. But it soon wears off.

2. Proactively eradicate the human ego, which is painful and scary, make no mistake, but then the result is the sweet taste of unity that we all experience during those precious moments after a disaster.

Why take the road of suffering to unity when we can get there proactively, without pain?

When we truly uproot the human ego, think beyond solely dedicating ourselves to making our happiness manifest, then we can help manifest other people's dreams come true. You know what happens then? This shift in human consciousness raises our consciousness and suddenly new inventions and innovations that can rid the world of famine, pollution, poverty, will be revealed into the physical world.

We accelerate progress exponentially. Instead of going from horse and buggy to train to car to airplane to 747 and then to rockets, we can skip all those stages and get to the perfected technology that will transform the world in every conceivable way possible.

So how do we arrive to this point? We get there through continuous suffering or we can get their through inner change.

So far, all the technological advances of humanity have come as a result of pain  and suffering and war and death. What a stupid way to evolve.

If we just wage war on our own ego instead of our fellow-man, we can get to paradise and immortal existence in a virtual heartbeat.

But, the hard and harsh truth is this...A man would rather die physically, than have his ego die spiritually. It's the toughest war on earth to wage. But the victory offers the ultimate: a world of peaceful coexistence.

It's a war of life (positive change) and death (of ego).

If you want to contribute to the end of terrorism, war, poverty and disease, start fighting your own ego and treat the very people in your life -- friends, enemies, family, business associates -- with little less ego. Your impact on the world will be immeasurable.

The whole purpose of our existence is to infuse our consciousness with light, which allows us to win the day-to-day battles so that our personal lives and this world begin to undergo change.

Make no mistake, crime is down in the United States. New York, for instance has experienced a drastic drop in robberies and violent crimes that politicians are calling "extraordinary." According to the FBI, crime is down all over the US, not just one year, but its declining every single year.

The same thing is happening in the UK. According to the Guardian:

    Crime is falling. Murder is down. Violent crime generally is down. Property crime is down. In fact, almost every category of criminality that you can think of is declining. Here is the even better news. This is not a blip. The downward trend is now very well established and can be traced back over many years. And here is the funniest bit of this news. No one is really sure why. Those who think of themselves as experts on the causes of crime confess to being nonplussed. The majority of them predicted that a prolonged economic squeeze could only lead to more crime. They are scratching their heads trying to figure out why the opposite is happening.

There is so much good news happening all around the world but the negative media only reports the bad news because the ego rules over our soul so the negative news rules over the good news.

UNMASKING  EVIL

Many of the most obscene and unspeakable acts of darkness, including molestation and human trafficking, are being brought to our attention as never before in history. But make no mistake, this is not a new phenomenon, it's just that these abominable activities have been kept in the darkness for millennia. It's now being brought to light and to our attention though the vehicle of mass media in marvelous, technological ways that haven't existed before. We have the opportunity to manifest real creative change.

The same way sunlight shining through the blinds reveals previously unseen dust particles floating in the shaft of sunlight, spiritual light or divine consciousness and awakened human consciousness can shine a harsh light on the negativity that manifests in our world.

We help all those social causes by changing ourselves. That is the front line of war.

Changing within.

Being the change you want to see in the world.

Of course, the negativity that we humans manifest in this world will keep the headlines filled with terrifying and frightening news, concealing all the good news that also happening in the world. And it will make us feel helpless as we discover more of the monstrosities that are taking place in the world. All of this is to numb us into inaction.

But now we know better.

Each of us becomes a candle in the world when we diminish our ego and self-interest  and then more darkness is removed. And at the same time, we pour a light onto the problems that have remained hidden in the dark for centuries so that we can direct our consciousness to heal those issues as well.

Fighting darkness with darkness only creates more darkness.

Fighting darkness with light creates less darkness and more light.

The choice is ours.

It always has been.

The Secrets of The Real Truth In Life

The Story Behind :"TRUTH in LIFE" Really was Better than Good !!!

After his Father's death, the son decided to leave his mother at old age home and visited her on and off.

Once he received a call from old age home... Mom very serious ... please come to visit.
Son went and saw Mom very critical, on her dying bed. He asked: Mom what can I do for you. Mom replied ... "Please install fans in the old age home, there are none ...
Also put a fridge for betterment of food because many times I slept without food".

Son was surprised and asked: mom, while you were here you never complained, Now you have few hours left and you are telling me all this, why??? 
Mom replied...."it's OK dear, I've managed with the heat, hunger & pain, but when your children will send you here, I am afraid you will not be able to manage the TRUTH !!!

    Truth no 1 : nobody is real in the world except "MOTHER" !!!
    Truth no. 2 : a poor person has no friends ...
    Truth no. 3 : people do not like good thoughts they like good looks ...
    Truth no 4 : people respect the money not the person..     Truth no 5 : the person you love the most, will hurt you the most !!! 
    Truth no 6 : "Truth is Simple But The Moment You try to explain it... It 

                          become difficult !!! 
    Truth no 7 : "When you are happy you enjoy the music", but "when you are                                sad You understand the Lyrics".
    Truth no 8 : IN LIFE, Two things define you- YOUR PATIENCE when you have

                          nothung ... and YOUR ATTITUDE  when YOU HAVE EVERYTHING ...

The World's Real Enemy

The Real Enemy

By: Representatives For Social Consciousness

"We have met the enemy, and he is us"   —POGO

There is no external enemy out there. None. The idea of an adversary, foe and villain out there in the world is a trick. It's an act of deception. No Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or atheist for that matter, is an enemy to anyone.

Arabs are not the enemy of Jews and Jews are not the enemy of Arabs.

The only enemy that exists is the one within us.

The human ego.

The ego is a force that incites our desire for conflict and our jealousy and insecurity and hatred for everyone and everything that exists outside of ourselves.

This is how the real enemy hides. It misdirects our attention at others.

Our true self, which we lost touch with, is the human soul. The soul is our hidden, deeper true consciousness that is hidden behind the ego.
When we finally look within and target our ego, no matter what happens outside (even when we see true external negativity) we will finally defeat the ego.

When we finally realize that each person on earth is our teammate in the game of life, another limb of the body of humanity.

When we do see the authentic negative people in our world, we must realize that our own ego is what infused the cosmos with a bit of darkness and a certain measure negativity in the first place, thereby helping to create and feed these negative beings.

If we want to remove negative people from this world, we must remove it from ourselves first.

We must starve the darkness until it vanishes for good.

The ego will now make you doubt everything that was just said.  For that is its survival mechanism.

Doubt. Doubt, in everything that is good and miraculous!

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 logic, reason, 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 authority, confirmation bias, cognitive bias, conventional wisdom, popular culture, prejudice, sectarianism, tradition, urban 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."