LIFE Stories

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" - Matthew 5:16. Please remember, God loves you just the way you are and has a will and plan for your life. Never allow the evil one to make you feel as if God has forgotten you or does not care about meeting your needs. We may sometimes feel worthless or not good enough to meet people's standards, but God will use our imperfections to meet the needs of others as He sees fit in His perfect and everlasting wisdom. +++ Once a farmer bought two water pots but unfortunately one had a hole in it. The farmer used both the pots to put water and bring them to his home. But the broken pot leaked continuously and that made him feel useless. The other pot feeling proud of himself, used to make fun and tease him when he spilled water. One day the broken pot could not stand this anymore and so went to the farmer and told him to throw him away. However, the farmer smiled and said, “

“I won a million dollars – but unfortunately because of an illness I became blind and paralyzed.” How many of us would like to trade places with that person? Not many. But we would prefer the former to the latter. This is selective listening. We are so focused on complaining about things we don't have that we lose sight of the things we have. There is a lot to be thankful for. The following example will shed light on: +++ A medical doctor was invited as a guest speaker to address a group of alcoholics. He wanted to make a demonstration that would be powerful enough to make people realize that alcohol was injurious to their health. He had two containers, one with pure distilled water and one with pure alcohol. He put an earthworm into the distilled water and the worm swam beautifully and came up to the top. He put the same earthworm into the alcohol and it disintegrated in front of everyone's eyes. He wanted to prove that this was what alcohol does to the insides of our body. He

Our response to God's grace should be to extend it to others; we love because He first loved us, therefore, let us love others as we are loved. +++ One afternoon a husband arrived home with sad news for his wife... HUSBAND: Honey, I just received a call, Mama passed away. Shall we go to town and get some necessities for the funeral? Please write a list and then we can go.” WIFE: A list won't be necessary; we'll just get a very few grocery items. HUSBAND: Is it going to be enough? WIFE: No need to waste money, of course it’s going to be enough! They left for town and after getting a few things. Once again, the husband asked his wife whether she was sure that would be all. She emphasized the issue of not wasting money on the funeral. They then hit the road towards the village and at a point took a turn to his wife's home. WIFE: Where are we going, thought you said we are going to the funeral, your Mama passed away. HUSBAND: Yes, we are going to the funeral; it’s YOUR Mama

We are to continually be thankful for the many gifts God has given us. It is easy for us to forget how blessed we are when we look at what others have and not focus on the blessings that we possess. A wise man once said that we should not look at the people who are living better than we are, but rather we should look at those who are not as fortunate because that is when we can be truly thankful for everything we have. I encourage you to remember your many blessings and don't allow yourself to take for granted the great gifts God has given you. I hope you are blessed and inspired by today's message that shows how we are not only to be thankful for what we have, but also we are to be helpful when the opportunity arises. +++ One Friday night as a family, my daughter, two sons, wife and I went to our favorite place for dinner. It was not long after we had placed our orders and sat down when a man with long hair and a scraggly mustache slumped into a booth near ours. He was awfully

“I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10. Throughout the Bible, God has talked about wanting to bless us. That doesn’t always mean materially, but it doesn’t exclude it either. Christ came to earth to teach us how to live abundantly, fulfilled lives. If we follow His teachings, we will live to the fullest! +++ There is a story about a man in Europe who wanted to travel to the United States. In those days, the only way to get here was by ocean liner. He worked hard, saved up his money, and finally put together enough money to buy a one-way ticket. Then he bought a suitcase and filled it with cheese and crackers. That would be his food for the three-week journey. It was all he could afford. The ship set sail. Meal time came. All the other passengers went into the large dining hall to eat their meal. The man went to his suitcase and took out some cheese and crackers. While he could smell the delicious aromas coming from the mea

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." – Proverbs 3:5-6. +++ There is a story about a mountain guide who lived in the mountains of North Wales. One day, two mountain climbers came to his cabin and asked if they could stay with him as they climbed the hill and mountains. The guide said yea, and asked the men if they needed a guide. "There is no need," said the men, "We don't need a guide, we have our compasses, we have our charts, we have our maps that will bring us back here." "But," said the guide, "I know the mountain tracks like the back of my hand; I know where the dangerous pits are, I know where the tall cliffs are, I know how to guide you around those and through those difficult places." But the men just said again and again, "But all of that is on the map, we can make it." Then the old guide smiled and said, &quo