Spiritual Thoughts

Friday Tale - Gift of Sound A s  a teacher and trainer, I had always found immense joy in sharing knowledge and helping others learn. However, my passion was gradually overshadowed by the relentless loss of my hearing. The classroom, once filled with lively conversations and laughter, had turned into a world of muffled words and isolation. I began to withdraw, aching for the days when I could connect with my students and colleagues without the barrier of deafness.   Realizing that I couldn't continue down this path of self-imposed silence, I decided to seek help. I made an appointment with a company that offered a solution – borrowing a pair of hearing aids. The moment I put them on, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The world came alive again; I could hear the rustle of leaves, the laughter of children, and the whispered secrets of my students. These hearing aids were a lifeline, a chance to rekindle my passion for teaching and connecting with others.   The only problem wa...

  W hen you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege  it is to be alive - to breathe,  to think, to enjoy, to love.  ~ Marcus Aurelius L et everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! ~ Psalm 150:6

  T o keep the Gold Rule we must put ourselves in other people's places, BUT to do that consists in and depends upon picturing ourselves in their places. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick D o to others as you would   have them do to you. ~ Luke 6:31 (the "Golden Rule")

  I t's about sharing.  You just give what you have to give wherever you go, a nd you let God handle the rest. ~ Lindsay Wagner D o not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are   pleasing to God. ~ Hebrews 13:16

  T here is always going to be bad stuff out there. BUT here is the amazing thing - light trumps darkness, every time. You stick a candle into the dark, BUT you cannot stick the dark into the light. ~ Judi Picoult F or at one time you were darkness, BUT now are you light in the Lord Walk as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. ~ Ephesians 5:8-9

Friday Tale - Spiky Kindness A young Israeli in a bright red shirt, his carefully spiked and gelled hairdo and various facial piercings offering a certain image to the world, rushes to help an elderly woman who has fallen in the street. He slowly readjusts her shopping bag and her walker, and assists her to the middle of the sidewalk in front of his trendy hair salon. “Are you okay?” he asks. “Do you need something to drink?”  He stands outside with her for several minutes, until she is steady enough to move on. Even then, he holds vigil until she has traveled safely for another block. His parents can be very proud of his manners and his love for fellow human beings.  “The streets of Jerusalem frequently teach me not to jump to conclusions, not to put people in boxes.” ~ Ruti Eastman And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. ~ Titus 3:14

  I  cannot do all the good  that the world needs. BUT the world needs all  the good that I can do. ~ Jana Stanfield L earn to do good, seek justice,  correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. ~ Isaiah 1:17

  D o not waste your time looking back at what you have lost. Move on, life is not meant to be  traveled backwards. ~ Unknown T he grace of God has appeared, instructing us to deny...worldly desires and to live sensibly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and our savior Christ Jesus. ~ Titus 2:11-13

  H elp people,  even when you know  they cannot help you back - especially when they  can't help you back! ~ Unknown W e urge you to admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak,  be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~ Unknown W hatever your hand finds to do  do it with all your might. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:10

  Friday Tale ~ Airport Kindness Soars above Airport Chaos I n  the whirlwind of airport security, my artistic adventure hit a hiccup—I totally forgot about the no-liquids rule for carry-on bags. It was a bit of a bummer as I sadly handed over my beloved painting supplies, now deemed contraband, to the security folks.   Fast forward a week, and I'm back at the same airport. Lo and behold, a bit of magic was waiting for me at the baggage area. I couldn't believe my eyes—there stood an airport worker, holding my dear paints. Not only did he keep them safe while I was away, but he went the extra mile, finding out when I was coming back just so he could be there when I landed.   Getting back my paints felt like more than just a practical thing; it was like someone had painted a canvas of kindness. In the usual humdrum of airport routines, this worker turned a simple task into a genuinely heartfelt moment.   With a friendly grin, he shared, "I remembered you, and I w...

  Z ig as life Zigs and Zag as life Zags. ~ Jonathan L. Huie C hange of any sort requires courage. ~ Mary Ann Radmacher S o we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" ~ Hebrews 13:6

  R eal heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, BUT win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments. ~ Kevin Costner M ay integrity and    uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. ~ James 5:9

  Y ou can complain because roses have thorns, or you can be grateful that thorn bushes have roses. ~ Tom Wilson D o not complain against each other,   so that  you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ~ James 5:9

  T he bad news is time flies. The good news is you are the pilot. ~ Michael Altshuler S o teach us to number our days, so that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. ~ Psalm 90:12

  Friday Tale - Live Your Life Like: {1}    Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered,   BUT only one boy came with an umbrella.  That's FAITH.   {2}     When you throw babies in the air,          they laugh because they know you will catch them.  That's TRUST.   {3}    Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up.  That's HOPE.   {4}    We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future.  That's CONFIDENCE.   {5}    We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children.  That's LOVE.   {6}    On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence:          '...