IT'S ONLY A QUARTER!

IT'S ONLY A QUARTER!

Several years ago a preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.  When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the quarter back.  It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.

-- Author Unknown

JUST CALL UPON HIM

JUST CALL UPON HIM

The boy walked along the ocean shore . . . trying not to stray.

He looked up to his father saying, "Dad, I want to play."

His father looked upon him, with love showing in his eyes.

"Do what you want to, my son . . . but do not leave my side."

"I would never leave you Daddy, I love you way too much."

But the boy took a step away, out of his father's range of touch.

He walked through the surf, the waves tickling one toe.

"If I take one more step in . . ." he thought, "Father will never know."

His father called out to him, "Son, to me remain true!"

The boy thought with glee . . . "At the moment I don't need you!"

His father felt a sadness, but he held his tongue.

Sometimes lessons need to be learned . . . even when so young.

The boy stepped out a little further . . . the water covering his waist.

His father spoke with urgency . . . his father spoke with haste.

"My son, come back to me," he said, "The day is almost done!"

"Not yet, Dad," the boy yelled, "I'm having too much fun!"

But the boy did not have his father's insight so he could not yet tell,

The tide was coming in fast . . . there would be no time to yell.

"Father!" he tried to scream, as the water covered his head.

"I need you now, Daddy!" was what the boy had said.

And in a single instant his father was by his side.

"I thought you left me, Daddy . . . I thought you went to hide."

The father looked upon his son . . . a tear streaming down his cheek.

The boy looked upon his father . . . and cried the sobs of the meek.

"I would never leave you son . . . for I love you just the same."

"I was only waiting . . . for you to call upon my name."

-- Author Unknown

14 Foods that Will Fight Cancer For You

14 Foods that Will Fight Cancer For You

Cancer, unlike many other diseases, comes from within the innermost processes of our bodies. It is one of the most internally focused diseases, and as such, what we do with our bodies throughout our life and continue to every day - has a huge impact on our chances to develop it. Nutrition plays a huge role, and that is why it is crucial to know the foods that fight to prevent cancer from developing in our bodies.

People fear cancer and many believe there is little they can do to prevent it. They put factors such as hereditary or genetic or sheer bad luck. However, research shows that this is not the case, and that lifestyle factors such as diet can play a major role in preventing cancer. Did you know that about a third of all cancers are linked to bad eating habits?

There are small amounts of cancer in all our bodies. Most of them never get anywhere and are destroyed early on. What we call cancer are the ones that continue to get bigger and aren't stop by the immune systen. Anticancer molecules present in fruits and vegetables fight cancers at the source, before they can reach maturity.

8 MATA ANGIN

Suatu ketika di negeri Cina ada seorang murid yang telah bertahun2 belajarilmu kebijakan dari seorang maha guru di sebuah pulau terpencil. Dan ia merasa sudah sangat cukup menuntut ilmu. Ia merasa sedih tiba waktunya untuk mengabdikan dirinya pada masyarakat di pulau seberang, tempat ia dilahirkan.

Singkat cerita, ia minta izin dan pamit pada sang guru untuk meninggalkan pulau terpencil itu. Sang murid tiba di tanah kelahirannya dan disambut baik oleh masyarakatnya. Beberapa waktu kemudian, ia telah berhasil mendirikan sebuah perguruan dan memiliki banyak murid. Ia pun lalu tersohor sebagai guru ilmu kebijakanyang dijadikan panutan.

Suatu saat ia teringat pada sang guru, di pulau terpencil sana. Ia ingin menunjukkan hasil pengabdiannya selama ini. Ia ingin menunjukkan prestasinya di masyarakat pada gurunya. Ia lalu menulis sebuah kitab yangberisi ajaran2 kebijakan. Kitab itu ia beri judul "Kitab Delapan MataAngin". Alasannya, karena siapa saja yang mengamalkan isi kitab itu, maka ia akan tetap tegar dalam kebenaran meskipun diterpa badai dan angin taufan dari 8 penjuru mata angin. Setelah memeriksanya berulang2, dan yakin akan isi kitab yang ditulisnya, ia mantap untuk mengirim kitab itu kepadagurunya.

Ia lalu mengutus salah satu muridnya untuk mengantar kitab itu ke pulauterpencil nun jauh di sana. Sang guru menerima kiriman "Kitab Delapan Mata Angin " dengan suka cita. Namun, tanpa diduga, setelah membaca isinya, sang maha guru itu mencoret2 sampul kitab itu dengan tulisan "Kamu ternyata tak lebih dari Angin Kentut belaka!" Sang guru mengembalikan kitab itu lewat utusan sang murid.

Dan betapa terkejutnya sang murid ketika menerima dan membaca tulisan gurunya disampul kitab kebanggaannya. Mukanya merah padam. Ia merasa terhina bukanbuatan."Guru ini tak bisa menghargai orang lain! Guru macam apa dia!" geramnyamarah. Hari itu juga ia langsung memutuskan untuk menyeberangi lautan menemuigurunya.

Ia ingin minta "pertanggungjawaban" sang guru. Ia ingin tau apa maksud gurunya menulis kata2 kasar di sampul kitabnya itu.Sampai di padepokan sang guru, ia langsung menemui gurunya. Dengan nada geram, ia bertanya pada gurunya, "Apa sebenarnya maksud guru menulis kata2 kotor seperti ini?" Ia tunjukkan sampul kitabnya itu pada gurunya.

Sang mahaguru menjawab dengan kalem, "Lho, katanya kamu mampu bertahan dari gempuran badai dan angin taufan dari 8 penjuru mata angin? Tapi kenapa hanya dengan tiupan angin kentut sudah membuatmu terpental dari pulau seberang ke pulau terpencil ini, dengan raut muka tidak karuan bentuknya, heh!?"Mendengar jawaban sang guru, sang murid malunya bukan kepalang. Ia sangat menyesali kesalahannya.

Ia langsung mendapatkan satu ilmu lagi dari gurunya yang sangat penting, bahwa setinggi apapun kebijakkan yang terucap di bibir atau tertulis di buku, tidak lebih berarti daripada yang terpatri dalam hati yang benar2 dihayati dan diamalkan dalam bentuk keteladanan nyata..Dan akhirnya sang murid pulang ke pulau seberang dan menutup perguruannya untuk sementara karena ingin berguru kembali ke pulau tetangga yang lain...

"Cerita hikmat dari negri Cina, inspirasi dari Tsai Chih Chung."

If only I could see the World

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.
She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,' Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word -
Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children -
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -
Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job -
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -
Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -
Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.