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CELL PHONE vs. BIBLE
I wonder what would
happen if we treated
our Bible like we
treat our cell
phone?
What if we carried
it around in our
purses or pockets?
What if we flipped
through it several
times a day?
What if we turned
back to go get it if
we forgot it?
What if we used it
to receive messages
from the text?
What if we treated
it like we couldn't
live without it?
What if we gave it
to kids as gifts?
What if we used it
when we traveled?
What if we used it
in case of an
emergency?
This is something to
make you go...
hmm... where is my
Bible?
Oh, and one more
thing. Unlike our
cell phone, we don't
have to worry about
our Bible being
disconnected because
Jesus already paid
the bill.
Makes you stop and
think 'where are my
priorities?'
And no dropped
calls!
Don't we wish more
people were like
this!
Our Dog, Abbey, died
August 23, and the
day after Abbey
died, my 4year old,
Meredith, was SO
upset. She wanted
to write a letter to
God so that He would
recognize Abbey in
heaven. She told me
what to write, and I
did.
Then she put 2
pictures of Abbey in
the envelope. We
addressed it to God
in Heaven, put two
stamps on it
because, as she
said, it could be a
long way to heaven.
We put our return
address on it, and I
let her put it in
the drop box at the
post office that
afternoon. She was
absolutely sure that
letter would get to
heaven, and I wasn't
about to disillusion
her.
So today is Labor
Day. We took the
kids to the museum
in Austin, and when
we cam home, there
was a package
wrapped in gold on
our front porch. It
was addressed to
Meredith. So...she
took it inside and
opened it. Inside
was a book. When
Your Pet Dies by Mr.
Rogers (Fred
Rogers).
Inside the front
cover was the letter
we had written to
God, it its opened
envelope. On the
opposite page was
one of the pictures
of Abbey taped on
the page. On the
back page was the
other picture of
Abbey, and this
handwritten note on
pink paper:
Dear Meredith, I
know that you will
be happy to find out
that Abbey arrived
safely and soundly
in heaven. Having
the pictures you
sent to me was a big
help! I recognized
Abbey right away!
You know, Meredith,
she isn't sick
anymore. Her spirit
is here with me,
just like it stays
in your
heart...young and
running nd playing.
Abbey loved being
your dog, you know.
Since we don't need
our bodies in
heaven, I don't have
any pockets to keep
things in. So...I
am sending you your
beautiful letter
back with the
pictures so that you
will have this
little memory book
to keep. On of my
angels is taking
care of this for
me. I hope this
little book will
help.
Thank you for your
beautiful letter.
Thank your mother
for sending it.
What a wonderful
mother you have. I
picked her
especially for you.
Signed,
God
This is a true
story. I love that
we have angels among
us. Some of them
even work at the
Post Office!
Two Wolves
One evening an old
Cherokee told his
grandson about a
battle that
goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the
battle is between the
two "wolves" inside us
all.
One is Evil. It is
anger, envy, jealousy,
sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity,
guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies,
false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It
is 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 you feed."
Making Pancakes
Six-year-old Brandon
decided one Saturday
morning to fix his parents
pancakes. He found a big
bowl and spoon, pulled a
chair to the counter,
opened the cupboard and
pulled out the heavy flour
canister, spilling it on
the floor.
He scooped some of the
flour into the bowl with
his hands, mixed in most
of a cup of milk and added
some sugar, leaving a
floury trail on the floor
which by now had a few
tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with
flour and getting
frustrated. He wanted this
to be something very good
for Mom and Dad, but it
was getting very bad.
He didn't know what to do
next, whether to put it
all into the oven or on
the stove and he didn't
know how the stove worked!
Suddenly he saw his kitten
licking from the bowl of
mix and reached to push
her away, knocking the egg
carton to the floor.
Frantically he tried to
clean up this monumental
mess but slipped on the
eggs, getting his pajamas
white and sticky.
And just then he saw Dad
standing at the door. Big
crocodile tears welled up
in Brandon's eyes. All
he'd wanted to do was
something good, but he'd
made a terrible mess. He
was sure a scolding was
coming, maybe even a
spanking. But his father
just watched him.
Then, walking through the
mess, he picked up his
crying son, hugged him and
loved him, getting his own
pajamas white and sticky
in the process!
That's how God deals with
us.. We try to do
something good in life,
but it turns into a mess.
Our marriage gets all
sticky or we insult a
friend, or we can't stand
our job, or our health
goes sour.
Sometimes we just stand
there in tears because we
can't think of anything
else to do. That's when
God picks us up and loves
us and forgives us, even
though some of our mess
gets all over Him.
But just because we might
mess up, we can't stop
trying to "make pancakes"
for God or for others.
Sooner or later we'll get
it right, and then they'll
be glad we tried...
I was thinking. and I
wondered if I had any
wounds needing to be
healed, friendships that
need rekindling or three
words needing to be said,
sometimes, "I love you"
can heal & bless! Remind
every one of your friends
that you love them. Even
if you think they don't
love back, you would be
amazed at what those three
little words, a smile, and
a reminder like this can
do.
Just in case I haven't
told you lately... I LOVE
YA!!!
I wonder what would happen
if we treated our Faith
like we treat our cell
phones?
What if we carried our
Faith around with us?
What if we turned back to
go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through
it several times a day?
What if we used Faith to
receive messages?
What if we treated it like
we couldn't live without
it?
What if we gave Faith to
kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we
traveled?
What if we used it in case
of an emergency?
What if we used Faith to
talk to friends and
family?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we
don't ever have to worry
about our Faith being
disconnected because
Jesus already paid the
bill!
All we need to do is keep
the batteries of charity
charged up and ready to go
I
dialed a number and got
the following recording:
"I am not available right
now, but
Thank
you for caring enough to
call.
I
am making some changes in
my life.
Please
leave a message after the
Beep.
If I do not return your
call......
You
are one of the changes."
~~~~~
Aspire
to inspire before you
expire.
~~~~~
My
wife and I had words,
But I didn't get to use
mine.
~~~~~
Frustration
is trying to find your
glasses without your
glasses.
~~~~~
Blessed are those who can
give without remembering
And
take without forgetting.
~~~~~
The irony of life is that,
by the time
You're old enough to know
your way around,
you're not going anywhere.
~~~~~
God
made man before woman so
as to give him time to
think
Of
an answer for her first
question.
~~~~~
I was always taught to
respect my elders,
But
it keeps getting harder to
find one.
~~~~~
Every morning is the dawn
of
a new error.
~~~~~
The quote of the month is
by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes,
tornados, fires out of
control, mud slides,
flooding, severe
thunderstorms
tearing up the country
from one end to another,
and with the threat of
bird flu and
terrorist
attacks, "Are we sure this
is a good time to take God
out of the Pledge of
Allegiance?"
If you're not
familiar with the work of
Steven Wright, he's the
famous erudite scientist who
once said: "I woke
up one morning and all of my
stuff had been stolen...and
replaced by exact
duplicates!" His mind tends
to see things a bit
differently than the rest of
us mortals.
Here are some of his gems:
1- I'd kill for a
Nobel Peace Prize.
2- Borrow money from
pessimists - they don't
expect it back.
3- Half the people
you know are below average.
4- 99% of lawyers
give the rest a bad name.
5- 42.7% of all
statistics are made up on
the spot.
6- A conscience is
what hurts when all your
other parts feel so good.
7- A clear
conscience is usually the
sign of a bad memory.
8- If you want the
rainbow, you gotta put up
with the rain.
9- All those who
believe in psychokinesis,
raise my hand.
10- The early bird
may get the worm, but the
second mouse gets the
cheese.
11- I almost had a
psychic girlfriend, but she
left me before we met.
12- OK, so what's
the speed of dark?
13- How do you tell
when you're out of invisible
ink?
14- If everything
seems to be going well, you
have obviously overlooked
something.
15- Depression is
merely anger without
enthusiasm.
16- When everything
is coming your way, you're
in the wrong lane.
17- Ambition is a
poor excuse for not having
enough sense to be lazy.
18- Hard work pays
off in the future, laziness
pays off now.
19- I intend to live
forever; so far, so good.
20- If Barbie is so
popular, why do you have to
buy her friends?
21- Eagles may soar,
but weasels don't get sucked
into jet engines.
22- What happens if
you get scared half to death
twice?
23- My mechanic told
me, "I couldn't repair your
brakes, so I made your horn
louder."
24- Why do psychics
have to ask you for your
name?
25- If at first you
don't succeed, destroy all
evidence that you tried.
26- A conclusion is
the place where you got
tired of thinking.
27- Experience is
something you don't get
until just after you need
it.
28- The hardness of
the butter is proportional
to the softness of the
bread.
29- To steal ideas
from one person is
plagiarism; to steal from
many is research.
30- The problem with
the gene pool is that there
is no lifeguard.
31- The sooner you
fall behind, the more time
you'll have to catch up.
32- The colder the
x-ray table, the more of
your body is required to be
on it.
33- Everyone has a
photographic memory; some
just don't have film.
34 - If your car
could travel at the speed of
light, would your headlights
work?
I
had been called to examine
a ten-year-old Irish
Wolfhound named Belker.
The dog's owners, Ron, his
wife Lisa, and their
little boy, Shane, were
all very much attached to
Belker and they were
hoping for a miracle. I
examined Belker and found
he was dying of cancer.
I told the family there
were no miracles left
for Belker, and offered
to perform the
euthanasia procedure for
the old dog in their
home. As we made
arrangements, Ron and
Lisa told me they
thought it would be good
the four-year-old Shane
to observe the
procedure. They felt as
though Shane might learn
something from the
experience.
The next day, I felt the
familiar catch in my
throat as Belker's
family surrounded him.
Shane seemed so calm,
petting the old dog for
the last time, that I
wondered if he
understood what was
going on. Within a few
minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away. The
little boy seemed to
accept Belker's
transition wi thout any
difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a
while after Belker's
death, wondering aloud
about the sad fact that
animal lives are shorter
than human lives. Shane,
who had been listening
quietly, piped up, "I
know why."
Startled, we all turned
to him. What came out of
his mouth next stunned
me. I'd never heard a
more comforting
explanation. He said,
"People are born so that
they can learn how to
live a good life, like
loving everybody all the
time and being nice,
right?" The
four-year-old continued,
"Well, dogs already know
how to do that, so they
don't have to stay as
long."
Live simply. Love
generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
As you might
know, the head of a
company survived
9/11
because his son
started kindergarten.
Another
fellow was alive
because it was
his turn to
bring donuts.
One woman was
late because her
alarm clock
didn't go off in time.
One was late
because of being stuck
on the NJ Turnpike
because of
an auto accident.
One of them
missed his
bus.
One spilled
food on her clothes
and had to take
time to
change.
One's
car
wouldn't start.
One went back
to
answer the
telephone
.
One had a
child that
dawdled
and didn't get
ready as soon as he
should have.
One couldn't
get a taxi.
And then there was the
man
who put on a
new pair of shoes that
morning,
took the
various means to get
to work
but before he
got there, he
developed
a blister on
his foot.
He stopped at
a drugstore to buy a
Band-Aid.
That is why
he is alive today.
Next time
your morning seems to
be
going wrong,
the children
are slow getting
dressed,
you can't
seem to find the car
keys,
you hit every traffic
light,
don't get mad
or frustrated;
God is at
work watching over
you.
Now when I
am
stuck in
traffic,
miss an elevator,
turn back to answer a
ringing telephone...
all the
little things that
annoy me.
I think to myself,
this is exactly where
God
wants me to
be
at this very
moment..
May God
continue to bless you
with all
those annoying little
things
and may you
remember their
possible purpose.
3. The only
reason anyone
would ever hate
you is because
they want to be
just like
you.
4. A smile from
you can bring
happiness to
anyone, even if
they
don't like you.
5. Every night,
SOMEONE thinks
about you before
they go
to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special
and
unique.
8. Someone that
you don't even
know exists loves
you.
9. When
you
make the biggest
mistake ever,
something good
comes from it.
10.
When
you think the
world has turned
its back on you
take another look.
11. Always
remember the
compliments you
received. Forget
about the
rude
remarks.
The
next time you are
washing your hands
and complain
because the water
temperature isn't
just how you like
it, think about
how things used to
be. Here are some
facts about
the1500s:
Most people got
married in June
because they took
their yearly bath
in May, and still
smelled pretty
good by June.
However, they were
starting to smell,
so brides carried
a
bouquet of flowers
to hide the body
odor. Hence the
custom today of
carrying a
bouquet when
getting married.
Baths
consisted of a big
tub filled with
hot water. The man
of the house had
the
privilege of the
nice clean water,
then all the other
sons and men, then
the women and
finally the
children. Last of
all the babies. By
then the water was
so dirty you could
actually lose
someone in it.
Hence the saying,
Don't throw the
baby out with the
Bath
water..
Houses had
thatched
roofs-thick
straw-piled high,
with no wood
underneath. It was
the only place for
animals to get
warm, so all the
cats and other
small animals
(mice,
bugs) lived in the
roof When it
rained it became
slippery and
sometimes the
animals
would slip and
fall off the roof.
Hence the saying .
It's raining cats
and dogs.
There was
nothing to stop
things from
falling into the
house.. This posed
a real
problem in the
bedroom where bugs
and other
droppings could
mess up your nice
clean bed. Hence,
a bed with big
posts and a sheet
hung over the top
afforded some
protection. That's
how canopy beds
came into
existence.
The floor was
dirt. Only the
wealthy had
something other
than dirt. Hence
the saying,
Dirt poor. The
wealthy had slate
floors that would
get slippery in
the winter when
wet,
so they spread
thresh (straw) on
floor to help keep
their footing. As
the winter wore
on,
they added more
thresh until, when
you opened the
door, it would all
start slipping
outside. A piece
of wood was placed
in the
entranceway. Hence
the saying a
thresh
hold.
(Getting quite
an education,
aren't you?)
In those old
days, they cooked
in the kitchen
with a big kettle
that always hung
over
the fire. Every
day they lit the
fire and added
things to the pot.
They ate mostly
vegetables and did
not get much meat.
They would eat the
stew for dinner,
leaving
leftovers in the
pot to get cold
overnight and then
start over the
next day.
Sometimes
stew had food in
it that had been
there for quite a
while. Hence the
rhyme, Peas
porridge hot, peas
porridge cold,
peas porridge in
the pot nine days
old..
Sometimes they
could obtain pork,
which made them
feel quite
special. When
visitors came
over, they would
hang up their
bacon to show off.
It was a sign of
wealth
that a man could,
bring home the
bacon. They would
cut off a little
to share with
guests
and would all sit
around and chew
the fat..
Those with
money had plates
made of pewter.
Food with high
acid content
caused
some of the lead
to leach onto the
food, causing lead
poisoning death.
This happened
most often with
tomatoes, so for
the next 400 years
or so, tomatoes
were considered
poisonous.
Bread was
divided according
to status. Workers
got the burnt
bottom of the
loaf, the
family got the
middle, and guests
got the top, or
the upper crust.
Lead cups were
used to drink ale
or whisky. The
combination would
sometimes
knock the imbibers
out for a couple
of days. Someone
walking along the
road would
take them for dead
and prepare them
for burial. They
were laid out on
the kitchen table
for a couple of
days and the
family would
gather around and
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