LOVELIGHT
Magazine
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Vol. 2, no. 5*** May 2005
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Managing Editors: Adamaria Francis and Richard Shining
Thunder Francis
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Contributors to this issue
are: Loretta Carrier,Christine
Finer, Mick Gallagher, Sandi Grubb, Tom Gustin, Gene Janning, Brian Mansfield,
Diann Proffitt, Barbara Siler, Susan Smith, Geoffrey Stoermer
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Submissions to Lovelight Magazine
We love to hear from you! Our whole efamily loves the miniparables, stories, humor,
funstuff, and general information that you share with all of us.
But we, as the editors, would like for you to do a few
things for us that would make life and Love simpler in prepping every issue:
Please do not send your items (jokes,
articles, etc.) as “attachments” or “forwards.” Please include them within the body
of an email. Also, please make sure that the info
that you send is not boxed (placed in a line-box). Also, please send illustrations separately from the text, as
we cannot use drawings incorporated into the text. For the cyberspeech device cannot handle such embedded
graphics. These factors will make
everything so much easier for Adamaria.:)
Also, please try to make sure that all
submissions have two full spaces after each period. Please try correctly also to place commas in the text. Thank you so much for your continued
support of the magazine-- not through finances or donations, but through the
continued sending of small and fascinating items for our ezine. Please feel free to share the contents
of Lovelight magazine with
anyone. Please print out, share,
send, or duplicate our messages.
And please feel free to use any on your website.
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Email Addresses not Shared
Rest assured that we do not,
and will not, share any of your email addresses with any companies, persons, or
other “email vultures.”
We will keep them private, and use them only for our subscriptionlists.
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Announcements: Some Exciting Radiostuff!
As most of you know, we have one of the only
radioprograms on the planet about real and nonreligious spirituality. It is called “Heartmind,”
and is on wvxu, 91.7 fm, on Sunday eve at 6:30 pm. Now, vxu has been bought by wguc. If you would like for guc to keep “Heartmind,”
please click on the “Survey” at wguc.org
The latest is very exciting! We are going to try to get a time-slot
for another radioshow. This show
will be different, as it will be one hour, and, best of all, we will be able
to take live calls on the air. So, we can answer and address the questions
of the community, in the areas of spirituality, metaphysics, philosophy,
psychology, parapsychology, nature, religion, cults, and many other related
areas. We plan to call the show
“High Spirits.” It is
planned to air on wcky in Cincinnati, a commercial station-- the only
progressive station in this area of the country! Diann Proffitt has been working to facilitate this show, and
so has Scott Fitzgerald, one of the sales-people at cky.
It might appear on Saturday, late. We have not yet worked out the details,
but we are currently looking for anyone who needs to have her/his contactinformation advertised. If you have a metaphysical, spiritual,
or health service, and want more people to know about it, this program will
reach thousands every week. We are
delighted to inform you that, with ten underwriters, we will be able to
announce all your contact-info once a week to
THOUSANDS
OF EAGER CLIENTS.
These people need what you have to offer! And they all want it! For the thousands of people listening
to the show will be strongly attracted to metaphysics. They will be intensely interested in
natural health and spirituality! Best
of all, we are excited to be able to
provide this fine service for only
$19.95!
You can, for
this tiny investment, publicly announce
Your
business-name
Your business
snail-mail (physical) address
Business
phone-number
Business email
Business
website
Plus short
message
We want to be
fair about who actually gets to use this great service. So, we have decided to accept, for a
one-year contract, the first ten lucky people who get in touch with us.
So, here is our
contact-info:
Love
Ministries/Richard “Shining Thunder” Francis
Email: rmfrancis@juno.com
Phone:
513-737-LOVE (5683).
So, please get
in touch with us asap! May Love,
peace, and joy bless your efforts to aid our community physically and
spiritually.
*******
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Project Aquamarine and our
Efamily
We are delighted and excited to announce
that our efamily sale was a fabulous success! Thanks especially to the dear friends, mostly
Pneumariumfamily, who helped out at the sale-area, and aided in sorting,
pricing, and transporting of the sale-items: Albert Bollinger, Adamaria Francis, Pat Fields, Christine
Finer, Pat Helms, Diann Proffitt, Joan Rosebrook, Dennis Spencer, and Margie
Trautwein. Also, special gratitude
to those kind and generous friends who supplied sales-items for the cause: Albert Bollinger, Gerri Boone, Jim and
Maureen Dwyer, Toni Essarhir, Pat
Fields, Adamaria Francis, Brian and Jennifer Mansfield, Diann Proffitt, Teresa
and Wayne Ramsey, Joan Rosebrook, Karleen and Bill Sell, Greg and Shirley
Sexton, Barbara and Dale Siler, Susan Smith, Dennis and Cheryl Spencer, John
Vidmar and Patty, and Heather Wiggins.
Special acknowledgments and sincere thanks to my bro, Isaiah Toran, who
set up a new website for the Jewel Project, the site is:
http://lovejewels7.com. (This is about the sale, other fundraisers, and the
funding of the new radioprogram.)
This sale was part of Project Jewel; it
was Project Aquamarine. It allowed
for Love Ministries to establish an advertising-fund. We have spent the first $141 for an ad in Whole Living
Journal, the next issue, to drum up
underwriters for the proposed radioprogram “High Spirits.” Funds not used, in the future, for
advertising will be used for book-publication. Special thanks, and eternal gratitude, to all the fine,
beautiful, and wonderful friends who made the fabulous success of this sale
possible! Good karma is on its way
to you all!:)
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PEACE PROPHECY, by Thomas Gustin
I might be able to tell you exactly when there will be world peace. Those who have already heard my opinion regarding prophecy know my general feelings on the subject. Therefore, some readers might be flabbergasted by this article.
Regarding prophecy: Just because one can
“see” (into the thoughtstreams of)
a most probable future does not mean
that one should tell what one “sees.” Anyone that biases another’s choices by telling her
the future (correct or not) might take on some of the responsibility for her
future choices. I have created
enough garbage in my own life by my own choosing. I certainly do not want more, created by another’s
choices! This is true especially
if those choices are based upon my blurry-eyed forecast of her possible
futures. Generally, remaining
silent about these “in-sights” is the wisest course. A good Messenger will find other ways
of assisting her fellow Earth Traveler.
She need not interfere in the choice-making processes with unwelcome
slants and bias. But there might
be exceptions (such as this article).
In the 1960’s, I participated in a
regular ritual to “pray for world peace.” I am not bashing prayer; it is now an integral part of my
life. But I no longer pray in the manner that
was presented during early indoctrinations. Then, I had no
concept of what “real prayer” was. I certainly had no notion of what peace felt like. If you have never really known Peace,
how could you know what you were missing?
Lack of peace was the “norm.” Fast forwarding to many years later, I can now say that Peace
is an experience of True LOVE.
I can tell you exactly when there will
be world peace. It will occur
when all people live their own, individual lives in peace--
and NOT a moment before! Can it be
done? Absolutely! For, in a distant past, world-peace
actually existed. And our yearning
for its return might be based upon our collective unconscious memories of that
time. Our cyclic Universe perpetually
demonstrates that everything changes periodically. Proof of the possibility has been demonstrated many times by
other “large group” events.
One’s realities are heavily biased by one’s beliefs. Therefore, a heartfelt belief in peace
is a minimum prerequisite.
Beliefs, of course, are not the only seeds for our choices. Our choices do directly lead to our
experiences of peace, or its absence.
Peace will exist on the whole planet when peace first exists in every
heart. Peace is one result of
creating a life based upon Love.
At the collective unconscious level, (especially for large groups such
as societies or species), ALL beings’ choosing to “Live as Love”
actually creates peace.
Demonstrating the power of ideas over Physical Matter are two examples:
1) The Berlin Wall fell only after it was torn down first in hearts; and 2) we
landed men on the moon first in our imaginations, then physically.
The total quantity of Peace here at this
earthschool has changed, is changing, will change, over time. We will have world peace again, because
we have had it before, perhaps under different circumstances. It will return when we, as a species,
are ready to make all of the necessary choices. Effective prayer will be an integral part of that process. But
it will be only a part of it. When
we “walk the talk,” then our loving creations will result in Loving
experiences. As a bonus with
Peace, we will also experience the other principle qualities of Love-- joy, freedom,
and many other indescribable ecstasies.
*******
******* Ì
Loveletters from Friends, Buds, and Pals,
From Sandi Grubb
I have been learning from
you about the "surrender to what will be." There
is so much peace to be had
when one accepts the Taoist philosophy. God IS in
charge, and everything that
happens IS His will. And whatever
happens is the
right thing. Accepting that certainly keeps one from
wrapping oneself
around the axel. Thy will,
not mine. I learned a long time
ago to
quit telling God what to do.
He was taking care of things
without my help
just fine.
Thank you for showing me the
Way to peace of mind!
Blessings and love to you
and yours, my brother.
***
Also from Sandi Grubb
I would be honored [to allow you to reprint letters in Lovelight], thank you. Remember, though, the words come from what I have learned by listening to you and seeing their truth in life experiences.
Love to you, my
brother, always.
***
From Barbara Siler:
Hi, Shi!
Just caught your recent message
[in the uld]-- “God and ‘Devil,’ Love and Fear“--
and it blew me away! It's an incredibly powerful and informative piece of
work that has completely changed my thoughts concerning fear.
Actually, I experience little fear, but I see it seemingly controlling the
lives of so many people, and I've tended to be more "preachy" than
compassionate in these instances. With the philosophy "There is only
love or fear," I mistakenly made them both real and equal,
although opposite, and getting rid of the fear was the ultimate goal…
[This is a quotation from
the article:]
"Since there is only
one Mind, and since It has no real opposite, and since fear does exist, then
fear must by definition logically be a part of the Mind.... In theological
terms, the ‘devil’ (fear) exists by God's
(Lovemind's) permission."
Wow! These statements have given me a whole
different feeling about the place and purpose of fear in our lives. It
will also stop me from anymore shaming others for ‘being so full of
fear.’
This is so good, it has
to be shared, and I intend to forward it (or print it out) for my
book study group. We talk a lot about people being stymied by fear,
and have regarded it as sort of a bogey-man. The understanding
that Love uses fear as
a tool to help us learn and grow, is a wonderfully guilt-free concept that
makes perfect sense. I don't think we've ever discussed it in those
terms.
Thank you,… for your
love, your understanding, your wisdom, your sharing, and just for
being you.
Barbara Siler
***
From Diann Proffitt:
Dear Richard,
…Karma is a strange deed, indeed. You don't know [whether] its
going to be five minutes,… five years, or finding a friend forever.
It is true. It is a blessing and it fills the heart to be able to
connect with likeminded people, even having met them for the first time. [This happens all the time at the
Pneumarium family-gatherings.] It is a blessing of the moment.
Its great to have the [new “jewel”] web-site up and running.
Glad to hear [that] things are in progress.
Love,
Diann
***
From Brian Mansfield:
Hi Richard,
Someone gave us a baby bib
that says, "It's all about me." on it. Nothing like building up an
ego at the earliest of ages! Needless to say, that bib doesn't get worn.
Brian
***
Here was our response to
Brian:
031805fri
Brian, you are already ahead
of the game with your realization that egocentrism is the most crippling,
agonizing, antispiritual worldview possible. You are doing [your
daughter] Elizabeth the greatest favor of her life, with an early but indirect
intro to the spiritual Way!:) Small things count; indeed, earthlife is
made of small moments and events.
Love and Peace,
Shi
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ENJOY THE MOMENT, BUT PREP FOR THE FUTURE: A MINIPARABLE,
Sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer
I
had a date for lunch with friends. Mae, a little old "blue hair" about eighty, came
along. It was a pleasant bunch.
When the menus came, we ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups-- except for Mae! She said, "Ice Cream, please. Two scoops, chocolate.”
I wasn't sure that my ears heard accurately. And the others were aghast!
"Please add some heated apple pie," Mae added, completely
unabashed. We tried to act quite
nonchalantly, as if people did this all the time. But when our orders were brought out, I didn't enjoy mine. I couldn't take my eyes off Mae as her
pie a-la-mode went down.
The other ladies showed dismay. They ate their lunches silently and frowned.
The
next time I went out to eat, I invited Mae. I lunched on white meat tuna. She ordered a parfait. I smiled. She asked whether she amused me. I answered, "Yes, you do. But also, you confuse me. How come you order rich desserts, while I feel I must be
sensible?”
She laughed and said,
with wanton mirth, "I'm tasting
all that's possible. I try to eat
the food I need, and do the things I should. But life's so short, my friend, I hate missing out on
something good. This year I
realized how old I was.” She
grinned. “I haven't been
this old before. So, before I die,
I've got to try those things that for years I had ignored. I haven't smelled all the flowers yet.
There are
too many books I haven't read.
And goodies
to taste. And kites to be flown
overhead.
There are
many malls I haven't shopped. I've
not laughed at all the jokes.
I've missed
a lot of Broadway hits and potato chips and Cokes.
I want to
wade again in water and feel ocean spray on my face.
I want to
sit in a country church and thank God for His grace.
I want
peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast.
I want un-timed
long distance calls to folks I love the most.
I haven't
cried at all the movies yet, or walked in morning rain.
I need to
feel wind in my hair. I want to
fall in love again.
So, if I
choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner,
Then should
I die before night fall, I died a winner,
Because I
missed out on nothing. I filled my
heart's desire.
I had that
final chocolate mousse before my life expired."
***
“Now”
is the only time that you have. So,
enjoy life now. It is not
recommended that you give in shamelessly, carelessly, to every indulgence. But, in moderation, once in a while, be
kind to yourself. Love the senses,
and indulge in them. Just
don’t make it a habit! For
the senses are wonderful, delightful servants, but make nightmarish masters.
Remember to love your
body by limiting the intake of sweets, fats, and calories to reasonable and
moderate limits. This is selflove. But balance that, periodically, by
recalling the ladies who skipped dessert-- on the last evening of the Titanic!
*******
*******
Live well, love much &laugh often ! Be happy!`
*******
*******
Be mindful that happiness isn't based on possessions, power, or prestige, but
on relationships with people whom we love and respect.
*******
*******
SNORTS,
CHUCKLES, AND SMILES: More
Humortherapy
Lawyers Have Poor Families, Too, Ya Know, sent in by Gene
Janning
A Local United Way office realized that it had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called the lawyer to persuade him to contribute: "our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $500,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?"
The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied: First, Did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?"
Embarrassed, the United Way rep. mumbled, "um...No."
The lawyer continued: "Or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind, and confined to a wheelchair?”
The stricken United Way rep began to stammer out an apology.
The lawyer interrupted her apology, saying: "Or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident, "The lawyer's voice rising in indignation, "leaving her penniless with three children?"
The humiliated United Way rep. completely beaten, said simply, "I had no idea.”
On a roll, the lawyer cut her off once again: "So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any money to you?”
***
This Could Happen to You, sent in by Gene Janning
I had barely begun to sit down when I
heard a voice from the other stall saying:
"Hi, how are you?”
I'm not the type to
start a conversation in the restroom but I don't know what got into me, so I
answered, somewhat embarrassed,
"Doin' just fine!"
And the other person
said, "So what are you up to?"
What kind of question
was that? At that point, I was thinking, this is too bizarre! So I said, "Uhhh, I'm like you,
just traveling!”
At this point I was
just trying to get out as fast as I could, when I heard another question: "Can I come over?”
Okay, this question
was just too weird for me; but I figured I could just be polite and end the
conversation. I told him,
"No, I'm a little busy right now!"
Then I heard the
person in the other stall say nervously, "Listen, I'll have to call you
back. There's an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions.”
***
A Day Without Sunshine,
sent in by Chris Finer
A day without sunshine is
like night!***Save the whales. Collect the whole set.***On the other hand, you have
different fingers.***Enjoy unfamiliar territory; get lost in thought!***42.7%
of all statistics are made up on the spot.***99.9% of fundamentalists give the
rest a bad name.***Honk if you love peace and quiet.***He who laughs last,
thinks slowest.***Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.***Change is
inevitable, except from vending machines.***Plan to be spontaneous
tomorrow.***What's the speed of dark?***How do you tell when you're out of
invisible ink?***If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her
friends?***What happens if you get scared half to death twice?***Why do
psychics have to ask you for your name?
***
Old Farmer’s Advice,
sent in by Jim Dwyer
We all need personal
boundaries. Your fences need to be
horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.***Life ain't about how fast you run, or
how high you climb, but how well you bounce.***Keep skunks, bankers, and
lawyers at a distance.***Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.***A
bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.***Words that soak
into your ears are whispered, not yelled.***Meanness don't jest happen
overnight.***Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.***Do not corner something that you
know is meaner than you.***It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.***You
cannot unsay a cruel word.***Every path has a few puddles.***When you wallow
with pigs, expect to get dirty.***The best sermons are lived, not preached.***Most
of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.***Don't judge
folks by their relatives.***Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.***Live
a good, honorable life. Then when
you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it
a second time.***Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.***Timing
has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.***The easiest way to eat crow
is while it's still warm, 'cause the
colder it gets,
the harder it is to swaller.***If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing
to do is stop diggin'.***It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of
sheep.***Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.***Always drink upstream
from the herd.***Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes
from bad judgment.***Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than
puttin' it back in.***If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence,
try orderin' somebody else's dog around.***Live simply. Love
generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave
the rest to God.
***
More than One Way to Get Olives, sent in by Gene Janning
McQuillan ordered martini after martini,
each time removing the olives and
placing them in a jar. When the jar was filled with olives and
all the drinks consumed, the Irishman started to leave.
"S'cuse me", said a customer, puzzled
over what McQuillan had done. "What was that all about?"
Said the Irishman, "My wife just sent
me out for a jar of olives!"
***
An Irishman at jfk Airport wandered around
with tears streaming down his
cheeks. An airline employee asked him if he
was already homesick. "No," replied the Irishman "I've lost all
my luggage!"
"How'd that happen?"
"The cork fell out!"
***
*****************************************************
An Irish priest was driving to New York, and
got stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smelled alcohol on the priest's breath and
then saw an empty wine bottle on the floor
of the car. He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Just water," said the priest.
The trooper said, "Then why do I
smell wine?"
The priest looked at the bottle and said,
"Good Lord! He's done it again!"
***
Two Irishmen were sitting at a pub watching
the brothel across the street. They
saw a Baptist minister walk into the brothel, and one of them said, "'Tis
a shame to see a man of the cloth goin' bad."
Then they saw a rabbi enter the brothel,
and the other Irishman said, "‘Tis a
shame to see that the Jews are fallin'
victim to temptation as well."
Then they see a Catholic Priest enter the
brothel, and one of the Irishmen said, "What a terrible pity. One of the girls must be dying."
***
Mary Clancy went up to Father O'Grady after
his
Sunday morning service, and she was in
tears. He
said, “What's bothering you, Mary, my
dear?"
She said, "Oh, Father, I've got
terrible news. My husband
passed away last night."
The priest said, "Oh, Mary, that's
terrible. Tell me, did he have any last
requests?"
She said, "That he did, Father."
The priest said, "What did he ask,
Mary?”
She said, "He said, 'Please Mary, put
down that
damn gun!'”
*******
*******
“Birdies”
from Beyond, sent in by Christine finer
I
was in route to Washington, DC. We landed
in Denver for a plane change. An
announcement was made for Mr. Glenn to see the Customer
Service Representative immediately. I knew that something was wrong!
A solemn-faced
man said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an emergency at your home. I will take you to the phone so you
can call the hospital." My
heart
was now pounding!
Woodenly,
I followed him to the phone where I called the number. I learned that my three-year-old son
Brian had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several
minutes, and that when my wife had found him, he was already dead.
By
the time of my call, Brian was revived; and they believed he would live, but
they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain. I arrived at the hospital six hours
later. Nothing could have prepared
me to see my little
son lying so still with tubes and monitors everywhere. Only time would tell whether his brain
had suffered any damage.
Finally,
at two o'clock, our son regained consciousness. He sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever
heard. He said, "Daddy hold
me" and he reached for me with his little arms.
By the next day, he was pronounced free of neurological or physical
deficits. Almost a month later, Brian
said, "Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well, it
was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called, but you couldn't hear me. I started to cry, but then it hurt
too bad. And then the
'birdies' came."
"The
birdies?" my wife asked, puzzled.
"Birdies
made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They
took care of me."
"They
did?”
"Yes,"
he said. "One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you I was stuck under the door." My wife realized that a three-year-old
had no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came
to him from beyond as "birdies" because they were up in the air like
birds.
"What
did the birdies look like?" she asked.
Brian
answered, "They were so beautiful. They were
dressed in white, all white.”
"Did
they say anything?”
"Yes,"
he answered. "They told me the baby
would be all right.”
"The
baby?" my wife asked, confused.
Brian answered, "The baby laying on
the garage floor." He was referring to himself, as if watching from a
distance. He went on, "You
came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to
stay and not leave.”
She nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had
indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body and, seeing his crushed chest, had whispered, "Don't leave us Brian,
please stay if you can." The
soul had left His body and was
looking down from above on this little lifeless form. "Then what happened?"
she asked.
"We went on a trip,"
he said, "far, far away. We
flew so fast up in the air. They're so pretty, Mommy! And there are lots and lots of birdies."
Brian went on to tell
her that the "birdies" had told him that he had to come
back and tell everyone about the "birdies.” "Birdies" were always
with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes. They are always there. But you can only see them in here (he
put his hand over his heart). They whisper things to help us to do what is
right because they love us so much. Brian continued, "Everyone has a plan.
We must all live our plan, and keep
our promises.”
*******
*******
Don’t Come in Out of the Rain: Miniparable, sent in
by Mick Gallagher
A
six-year-old girl had been shopping with her Mom. This beautiful red-haired, freckle-faced tyke was the very
image of innocence.
It was pouring
outside--the kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in
a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the
store’s door.
We waited, some
patiently, others irritated because nature had messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the
heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running and splashing, so carefree as a child, came pouring
in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.
The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic
trance we were all caught in: "Mom,
let's run through the rain!" she said.
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a
bit," her mom replied.
The child waited
about another minute. Then, she
repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain.”
"We'll get soaked
if we do," replied the lady.
"No, we won't,
Mom. That's not what you said this
morning," the girl said as she tugged at her mother's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?”
"Don't you
remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God
can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"
The entire crowd
stopped dead silent. You couldn't
hear anything but the rain. No one
came or left in the next few minutes.
The young mother
paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Some would laugh it off and scold her
for being silly. Some might even
ignore what was said. But this was
a moment of powerful influence in a young child's life. It was a time when innocent trust could be
nurtured so that it would bloom into faith.
"Honey, you are absolutely
right! Let's run through the rain!
If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe
we just needed washing," she said.
Then off they ran! We all stood watching, smiling and
laughing as they darted past the cars and through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their
heads. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who
screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.
And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
Circumstances or
people can take away your material possessions. They can take away your money, and they can take away your
health. But no one can ever take
away your precious memories. So,
don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. For life is the creation of
memories! To everything, there is a
season; and a time to every purpose under heaven.
Please take the
time to run through the rain! It
is nature’s way of celebrating life!
*******
******* They say that it takes a minute to find
a special person, an hour to appreciate her, a day to know her, but an entire
lifetime to love her!
*******
*******
Take the time to
live!!!
Keep in touch
with your friends. You never know
when
you'll need each other !
*******
*******
God (Love) makes
everything that is good and keeps us in friends!
*******
*******
Get on Board the Love-train! A miniparable, sent
in by Loretta Carrier
Some folks ride the train of
life
Looking out the rear,
Watching miles of life roll by,
And marking every year.
They sit in sad remembrance,
Of wasted days gone by,
And curse their life for what it was,
And hang their head and cry.
But I don't concern myself with that,
I took a different vent,
I look forward to what life holds,
And not what has been spent.
So strap me to the engine,
As securely as I can be,
I want to be out on the front,
To see what I can see.
I want to feel the winds of change,
Blowing in my face,
I want to see what life unfolds,
As I move from place to place.
I want to see what's coming up,
Not looking at the past,
Life's too short for yesterdays,
It moves along too fast.
So if the ride gets bumpy,
While you are looking back,
Go up front, and you may find,
Your life has jumped the track.
It's all right to remember,
That's part of history,
But up front's where it's happening,
There's so much mystery.
The enjoyment of living,
Is not where we have been,
It's looking ever forward,
To another year and ten.
It's searching all the byways,
Never should you refrain,
For if you want to live your life,
You gotta drive the train!
--author unknown
*******
*******
A
Cosmos of Mirrors: A Miniparable, sent
in by Geoffrey Stoermer
Once upon a time, there was
a unique home that had, within its walls, one thousand mirrors. When the
news of this came to a sweet happy little dog, he decided to go and see it. As he came to the open door, this happy
puppy looked inside and, to his amazement, saw one thousand happy little dogs
looking right back. This little
fellow wagged his tail with such joy!
Feeling quite thrilled with what he saw, he was happy in knowing that
there were one thousand other happy little dogs in town.
There was another little dog
who heard about this magnificent home; and so he thought he would go and see
what this was all about. This little dog was not very happy. As he made his way up to the front
door, there was nothing joyful about him. As he looked inside the door, he saw one thousand dogs
scowling much like him. And so he
growled at them, and all one thousand growled right back at him. He left in disgust.
We live in a Universe of one
mind. It is a fertile growing
medium awaiting whatever we plant in it. What we choose is exactly what
we will see. Choose wisely.
*******
*******
Slow Dance: A Poem, sent
in by Karlan Zarley
Have you ever watched kids on
a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping
on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's
erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the
fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
on the fly?
When you ask How are you, do
you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you
lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
running through your head?
Ever told your child, we'll
do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, not see
his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good
friendship die
Cause you never had time to
call and say,"Hi"?
When you run so fast to get
somewhere,
You miss half the fun of
getting there.
When you worry and hurry
through your day,
It is like an unopened gift,
thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
*******
*******
PHRASES AND THEIR ROOTS,
sent in by Mooncat (Susan Smith)
Many years ago in Scotland,
a new game was invented. It was ruled
"Gentlemen
Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word
GOLF entered into the
English language.
In the 1400's a law was set
forth that a man was not allowed to beat his
wife with a stick no thicker
than his thumb. Hence we have
"the rule of thumb"
The first couple to be shown
in bed together on prime time TV were Fred
and Wilma Flintstone.
Every day more money is
printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
Men can read smaller print
than women can; women can hear better.
Coca-Cola was originally
green.
It is impossible to lick
your elbow.
The State with the highest
percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
The percentage of Africa
that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)
The percentage of North
America that is wilderness: 38%
The cost of raising a
medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400
The average number of people
airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000
Intelligent people have more
zinc and copper in their hair.
The first novel ever written
on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
The San Francisco Cable cars
are the only mobile National Monuments.
Each king in a deck of
playing cards represents a great king from
history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the
Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 =
12,345,678,987,654,321
If a statue in the park of a
person on a horse has both front legs in
the air, the person died in
battle. If the horse has one front
leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds
received in
battle. If the horse has all
four legs on the ground, the person
died of natural causes.
Only two people signed the
Declaration of Independenceon July 4th, John
Hancock and
CharlesThomson. Most of the rest signed
on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
Q. Half of all Americans
live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
Q. Most boat owners name
their boats. What is the most popular boat name
requested?
A. Obsession
Q. If you were to spell out
numbers, how far would you have to go until
you would find the letter
"A"?
A. One thousand
Q. What do bulletproof
vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser
printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.
Q. What is the only food
that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
Q. Which day are there more
collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
In Shakespeare's time,
mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes
the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the
phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
It was the accepted practice
in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month
after the wedding, the
bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink.
Mead is a honey beer and because
their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month ...
which we know today as the honeymoon.
In English pubs, ale is
ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly,
the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle
down."
It's where we get the phrase
"mind your P's and Q's"
Many years ago in England,
pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the
rim, or handle, of their
ceramic cups. When they needed a
refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase
inspired by this practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND
FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
At least 75% of people who
read this will try to lick their elbow
.............................................................
Don't delete this just
because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you
can read it.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I
cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdgnieg.The phaonmneal pweor
of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to
rscheearch at
CmabrigdeUinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr
theltteers in a wrod are,
the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset
can be a
taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is
bcuseae the huamn mnid deos
not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the
wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig
huh?
--