My Stories

An E-mail from Mary Owen:
> > >Two traveling angels

> > > Keep reading to the bottom of the page --
> don't stop at the feet (You'll see).
> > >
> > > Two traveling angels stopped to spend the
> night in the home of a wealthy family.
> > >
> > > The family was rude and refused to let the
> angels stay in the mansion's guest room.
> > >
> > > Instead the angels were given a small space
> in the cold basement.

> > > As they made their bed on the hard floor,
> the older angel saw a hole in the wall and
> repaired it.
> > >
> > > When the younger angel asked why, the older
> angel replied,
> > >
> > > "Things aren't always what they seem."
> > >
> > > The next night the pair came to rest at the
> house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.
> > >
> > > After sharing what little food they had the
> couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a
> good night's rest.
> > >
> > > When the sun came up the next morning the
> angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.
> > >
> > > Their only cow, whose milk had been their
> sole income, lay dead in the field.
> > >
> > > The younger angel was infuriated and asked
> the older angel how could you have let this
> happen?
> > >
> > > The first man had everything, yet you helped
> him, she accused.
> > >
> > > The second family had little but was willing
> to share everything, and you let the cow die.
> > >
> > > "Things aren't always what they seem," the
> older angel replied.
> > >
> > > "When we stayed in the basement of the
> mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.
> > >
> > > Since the owner was so obsessed with greed
> and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he
> wouldn't find it."
> > >
> > > "Then last night as we slept in the farmers
> bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave
> him the cow instead.
> > >
> > > Things aren't always what they seem."
> > >
> > > Sometimes that is exactly what happens when
> things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you
> just need to trust that every out come is always to your advantage. You
> just might not know it until some time later...
> > >
> > > Some people ( )
> > > come into our lives ) /
> > > and quickly go.. (_ /

> > > oooO
> > > ( ) Some people
> > > ( become friends
> > >_) and stay awhile...

> > > leaving beautiful Oooo
> > > footprints on our ()
> > > hearts... ) /
> > > ( _/
> > >
> > > oooO
> > > () and we are
> > >( never
> > > _ ) quite the same
> > >because we have
> > >made a good friend!!
> > >
> > > Yesterday is history.
> > > Tomorrow a mystery.
> > > Today is a gift.
> > > That's why it's called the present!
> > >
> > >
> > > I think this is special...live and savor
> every moment... This is not a dress rehearsal!
> > >
> > > (/)
> > > ( __ / )
> > > ( ()/ )
> > > ( /) TAKE THIS LITTLE
> ANGEL
> > > ( / / ) AND KEEP HER CLOSE
> TO YOU
> > > / SHE IS YOUR GUARDIAN
> ANGEL
> > > () SENT TO WATCH OVER
> YOU
> > > ____
> > >
> > >
> > >THIS IS A SPECIAL GUARDIAN ANGEL....
> > >
> > >
> > >Right Now -
> > > -somebody is thinking of you.
> > > -somebody is caring about you.
> > > -somebody misses you
> > > -somebody wants to talk to you.
> > > -somebody wants to be with you.
> > > -somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.
> > > -somebody is thankful for the support you
> have provided.
> > > -somebody wants to hold your hand.
> > > -somebody hopes everything turns out all
> right.
> > > -somebody wants you to be happy.
> > > -somebody wants you to find him/her.
> > > -somebody is celebrating your successes.
> > > -somebody wants to give you a gift.
> > > -somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
> > > -somebody loves you.
> > > -somebody admires your strength.
> > > -somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
> > > -somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry
> on.
> > >
> > > SOMEBODY NEEDS YOU TO SEND THIS TO THEM
> > > Never take away anyone's hope. That may be
> all they have.

====

You can send any article here to your friends and share with them. Just click the "Tip my friend" below every message. And again, share what you received from your friends with us.

Thomas & The Angel
MY SON, THOMAS, HAS NOT BEEN WHAT YOU?D CALL A RELIGIOUS PERSON, BUT, I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS A TEST OF FAITH AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME. WE?VE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS ON ?GUARDIAN ANGELS? & HE WAS SOMEWHAT OF A BELIEVER. I THINK HE BELIEVED MORE SO FOR MY SAKE THAN HIS OWN. MAYBE JUST HUMORING ME.
WHEN THOMAS WAS 18, HE OBTAINED HIS FIRST CAR - A 1984 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX BROUGHAM. IT WAS A LUXURY MODEL THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE IT SHOULD BE DRIVEN BY A SENIOR CITIZEN WITH BLUE HAIR RINSE ENROUTE TO A BINGO GAME. HOWEVER, IT WAS OWNED BY A PREACHER?S SON WHO SOMEWHAT ?BEEFED IT UP? FOR SPEED. THE CAR WAS A BIT WEATHERED, BUT AFTER THOMAS PUT IN A NEW ENGINE, REPLACED ABOUT EVERY CONCEIVABLE PART ON IT, HE HAD IT REPAINTED TO IT?S ORIGINAL COLOR & MOUNTED 4 NEW TIRES - IT WAS FINALLY ROAD READY. THE ONLY CHORE LEFT WAS THE PAPERWORK - TAGS, TITLE, INSURANCE, ETC.
THE CAR WAS KEPT AT A FRIENDS HOUSE BECAUSE CHARLIE?S YARD WAS FLAT & IT MADE IT EASIER TO DO THE WORK. THOMAS WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE HOOD OR ?TWEAKING? SOME DETAIL. HE PUT A LOT OF NOT ONLY MONEY, BUT, BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS IN THAT CAR. GRADUATION WAS LESS THAN 2 WEEKS OFF & HE HAD PLANS TO TAKE THAT CAR TO OCEAN CITY TO CELEBRATE HIS COMPLETION OF HIGH SCHOOL.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WAS NOT GOOD. WHEN HE WENT TO HIS FRIENDS HOUSE, HIS CAR WAS VANDALIZED. THE VINYL TOP WAS CUT IN NUMEROUS SPOTS, 2 NEW TIRES WERE SLICED ON THE SIDE WALLS, HIS NEW PAINT JOB WAS SCRATCHED WITH A KEY OR NAIL AND HIS GAS TANK HAD SUGAR & BEER IN IT. SAYING HE WAS UPSET IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. FOLLOWING POLICE REPORTS, QUESTIONING NEIGHBORS & STAKING OUT THE YARD FOR A POSSIBLE RETURN OFFENSE, HE DECIDED TO START FROM SCRATCH.
THOMAS IS A MECHANIC BY TRADE. HE WORKS ON TRAILERS & BIG RIGS. HE IS GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES & LOVES DOING IT. HE IS A PERFECTIONIST & DOES NOT DO ANYTHING HALF WAY. ?DO IT RIGHT, OR, DON?T DO IT AT ALL? IS HIS MOTTO. BEING THOROUGH IS MANDATORY TO HIM BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLES LIVES ARE IN THE BALANCE. ONE MISTAKE COULD BE DEADLY. HE TREATS EVERY TRUCK AS THOUGH HE WERE DRIVING IT. HE HAS HAD FAR MORE THAN HIS FAIR SHARE OF INJURIES - BOTH AT WORK & HOME. HE PULLED HIS BACK OUT TRYING TO HANG ON TO A 500LB TRUCK TRANSMISSION SO HIS CO-WORKER COULD CRAWL OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK BEFORE IF FELL ON THE MAN?S HEAD. CONCUSSIONS, SPLITS, CUTS, BURNS - HE?S HAD THEM ALL. WHY HE HASN?T GOTTEN MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED HAS BEEN A CONSTANT WORRY FOR YEARS. I?VE KIDDED HIM ABOUT HAVING A GUARDIAN ANGEL. ?YOU?RE WEARING HER OUT? I?D TELL HIM. HE LAUGH AT THIS - BUT, THE LOOK ON HIS FACE TELLS YOU THAT HE BELIEVES IN ANGELS. EVERY NOW & THEN, HE TALKS ABOUT GIVING HIS ANGEL A CHANCE TO PROVE SHE?S THERE - KEEPING AN EYE ON HIM. BUT, HE BELIEVES.
ON SUNNY DAY WHILE DRIVING UP INTERSTATE 95 NORTH, HE FELT HIS LEFT REAR WHEEL LOOSENING & COMING OFF THE AXLE. HE WAS IN THE FAST LANE & HAD TO CROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC WHICH MEANT DODGING OTHER DRIVERS DOING IN EXCESS OF 65+ MILES PER HOUR. BY THE TIME HE GOT TO THE SHOULDER, HE WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN. INSPECTION OF THE CAR REVEALED THE WHOLE WHEEL CAME OFF OF THE AXLE & WAS LODGED IN THE WHEEL WELL. TOO FAR TO WALK TO THE NEXT EXIT TO CALL FOR HELP, HE TRIED TO JACK UP THE CAR & RE-MOUNT HIS WHEEL SO HE COULD DRIVE TO THE NEXT EXIT - AND SAFETY. DOING THIS MANEUVER ALONE IS DIFFICULT - IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. NONE OF THE PASSING MOTORISTS STOPPED TO HELP. THEN, OUT OF NOWHERE CAME AN ORANGE STATE HIGHWAY TRUCK WITH MEN TO HELP. BEING UPSET WITH HIS PREDICAMENT, HE TOOK HIS ANGER OUT ON THESE MEN BY YELLING AT THEM. HOWEVER, THEY PROCEEDED TO ASSIST HIM. AFTER RE-MOUNTING THE WHEEL, HE DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT & AT A SERVICE STATION, HE INSPECTED THE REST OF THE CAR. ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE LOOSE! EACH WHEEL HAS 5 LUG NUTS TO HOLD THE WHEEL ON & ALL WERE ABOUT TO FALL OFF. AFTER TIGHTENING ALL NUTS, HE CALLED SCOTT, MY HUSBAND, TO COME & FOLLOW HIM HOME. HE HAD A LOT OF HIS FELLOW MECHANIC FRIENDS INSPECT THE WHEELS AND THEY ALL HAD THE SAME RESPONSE - SOMEONE TAMPERED WITH THE WHEELS BY LOOSENING THE LUG NUTS. THEY ALL AGREED - THERE IS NO WAY THOMAS COULD HAVE OVERLOOKED TIGHTENING 20 LUG NUTS.
AFTER A FEW WEEKS, THOMAS & I AGAIN BEGAN DISCUSSING HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL. HE SEEMED A LITTLE PUT OUT WITH HER BECAUSE SHE ALLOWED HIS WHEELS TO BE LOOSENED UP - ALMOST GETTING HIM KILLED ON THE HIGHWAY. HE SAID, ?IF SHE?S SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TO PROTECT ME - WHY DID SHE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?? I RESPONDED - ?THOMAS, DID YOU MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD SAFELY?? ?YES?, HE SAID. ?DID THE HIGHWAY CREWMEN HELP GET YOU OFF THE ROAD ALLOWING YOU TO GET TO THE SERVICE STATION?? AGAIN, ?YES? HE RESPONDED. ?BUT, HOW CAN I RELY ON HER AGAIN AFTER THIS IF I CAME THIS CLOSE TO DYING?? I SAID, ?THOMAS, WHO DO YOU THINK HELD THE OTHER 3 WHEELS ON THE CAR UNTIL THOSE MEN APPEARED FROM NOWHERE TO HELP YOU?? WELL, NOT ONLY DID HE LOOSE ALL OF HIS FACIAL COLOR, BUT HE HAD NO ANSWER FOR THAT.
IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 2 YEARS SINCE THAT HAPPENED & HIS FAITH IN HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL IS STRONG. SHE GOES EVERYWHERE HE DOES. AT ONE POINT, HE WANTED TO GO LOOKING FOR THOSE HIGHWAY CREWMEN TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP. BUT I SAID, ?DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU?LL FIND THEM? YOU CAN?T FIND AN ANGEL - THEY FIND YOU?.?
THOMAS NO LONGER QUESTIONS WHY THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS THERE AREN?T ANSWERS FOR EVERYTHING.
HE BELIEVES.

sdavis309

========

Thanks so much for sharing such a beautiful story!! Thanks for telling us that our Guardian Angel is always with us. When things get bad, please know that it is our Guardian Angel help us to prevent it getting worse...
No matter how bad the situation is, trust yourself, you can make it... because your Guardian Angel is always with you.

Potato Chips
A little boy wanted to meet God.
He knew it was a long trip to where God
lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato
chips and a six-pack of root beer
and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks,
he met an old woman. She was sitting in
the park, just staring at some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase.
He was about to take a drink from
his root beer when he noticed that the old lady
looked hungry, so he offered her some chips.
She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the
boy wanted to see it again, so he
offered her a root beer. Again,
she smiled at him. The boy was
delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating
and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized
how tired he was and he got up
to leave; but before he had gone
more than a few steps, he turned
around, ran back to the old woman, and gave
her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his
own house a short time later, his
mother was surprised by the look
of joy on his face. She asked him,
"What did you do today that made you so
happy?" He replied, "I had lunch
with God." But before his mother could
respond, he added, "You know what?
She's got the most beautiful
smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant
with joy, returned to her home.
Her son was stunned by the look
of peace on her face and he asked,
"Mother, what did you do today
that made you so happy?" She replied,
"I ate corn chips in the park with God."
However, before her son responded,
she added, "You know, he's much
younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power
of a touch, a smile, a kind word,
a listening ear, an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a
life around. People come into
our lives for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
Have lunch with God........bring chips.
Send this to people who have
touched your life in a special way.
Let them know how important they are

The church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the congregation that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright! The three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers, who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: To which boy would he throw the other end of the life line? He only had seconds to make the decision. " "The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves." "As the father yelled out, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' he threw out the lifeline to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously awaiting the next words to come out of the old man's mouth. The old man continued. "The father knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. ~ How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us! Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. ~ I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with the an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service had ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely stated one of the boys, think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing his worn bible. A big smile then broadened his narrow face as he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? ~ But I'm standing here today to tell you ~ that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me. You see, I was that father and your pastor was my son's friend."

A farmer works in the stable everyday. One day, he found that he lost his watch after cleaning the stable. The watch is precious to him, because it is a gift from his wife 30 years ago.
Therefore, he went back to the stable and searched everywhere. But he could not find it...
When he came out, he saw many children were playing outside. So he told them he would give anyone who find his watch $10.
The children ran into the stable for that lost watch...
But, again, they failed...
The farmer was extreamly disappointed, when a little boy came up and said : " May I go in and search it again?"

Though the farmer didn't have hope, he let him try.
After a while, the boy came out with the very watch in his hand!
The farmer was soooooo suprised!! And he asked the boy how he could find it while everyone can not.
The boy said: " When I enter the stable, I did nothing but sit there quietly. After a while, everything is so quiet inside me and around me... then the click of the watch was heard... according to the sound, I found it..."
My dear friends (Angels), when you are trying very hard to do someting, but not succeed...
Have you ever think of stop and think?
Stop and listen?
Is the way and direction you are heading right or wrong?
When all the children were searching in the stable together, it's impossible to hear the little sound of the watch. So this little boy entered alone and quietly...
Stop, calm down, peace and think...
Love you all, Angels!

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and
play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap
under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.Time
went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree
everyday.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with
me," the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees
anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but
I don't have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them.So, you will
have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and
left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was
sad.
One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me"
the tree said. "I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need
a house for shelter. Can you help me?" "Sorry, but I don't have a house. But you
can chop off my branches to build your house." So the boy cut all the branches
of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy
never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play
with me!" the tree said. "I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to
relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my truck to build your boat. You can
sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He
went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I
don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you... "the tree said.
"I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied. "No more trunk for you to climb
on" "I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give you
anything... the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I
don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years."
The boy replied. "Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest.
Come, Come sit down with me and rest." The boy sat down and the tree was glad
and smiled with tears.......
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young,we loved
to play with Mom and Dad...When we grown up, we left them... only came to them
when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will
always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think
the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parent.

Find Angel hope you would always remember those angel trees in your life ...

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying
groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 37
years was still too raw .And this grocery store held so many sweet
memories.

Rudy often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go
off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to.
I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow
roses in his hands. Rudy knew I loved yellow roses.

With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items
and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since Rudy
had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.
Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and
remembered how Rudy had loved his steak. Suddenly a woman
came beside me. She was blond, slim and lovely in a soft green
pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large pack of T-bones,
dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back.
She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.
She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-
bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know."

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.
"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. Glancing at
the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice.
"Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together."
She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed
the package in her basket and wheeled away. I turned and pushed
my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products.
There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A
quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream section
near the front of the store. If nothing else, I could always fix myself
an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward
the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady
coming towards me.

In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest
smile I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blond
hair as she kept walking towards me, her eyes holding mine. As she
came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes.
"These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed
yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know
these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my
cheek, then smiled again.

I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still
unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my
vision. I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue
wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know?
Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. "Oh, Rudy, you
haven't forgotten me, have you?" I whispered, with tears in my eyes.
He was still with me, and she was his angel.
Everyday be thankful for what you have and who you are. Please read
all of this, it is really nice! This is a simple request. If you appreciate
life,

send this to your friends, including the person that sent it to you!
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as
long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you, Lord,
that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,
toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud,
thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in
magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord,
for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous, thank you,
Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish
my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life!
Pass this on to the friends you know, it might help a bit to make this
world a better place to live, right?
A friend is someone to treasure. For friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives with Beauty, Joy and Grace
and makes the world we live in a better and happier place.
Author Unknown

A Meaningful Story to a Meaningful website...
Bless you all, Angels...

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?" he asked.
"Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

"That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow $10?" the father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed think about why you are being so selfish. I work long hard hours everyday and don't have time for such this childish behavior."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.
The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" he asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man, "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have $20 now. can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. Mummy and I would like to have dinner with you."
* * * *
Have you been sharing this $20 worth of time with someone you love? Your family? We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. You have to prioritise your needs, and then question yourself "is money really what you want at the end of the day?"
We can live with substantial amount of money, but the question is can you live without your love ones? Are you treasuring what you have now and not take people you love for granted? You can earn money any time, but people you love don't exist in this world all the time.... And there are still alot of people who failed to see this point, my dad, for one (but he's improving though, no longer the hard care workaholic he used to be...)
Think about it!
This story is taken from an email forwarded to me from my friend.

A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up
with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred
in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Allah Subhanahu
wa Ta'ala knows best"

One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend
would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done
something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his
friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Allah
Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows best."
To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to
put his friend into jail.
About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known
to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village.
They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the
stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was
missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than
whole. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village
When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken
his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately
to the jail to speak with his friend.
"You were right" the King said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And
he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. " I am very sorry
for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good ... Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows
best"
"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend
to jail for a year?"
The King's friend replied: "Remember that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows best
and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."
Surah Al Hajj
22:76
He knows what is before them
And what is behind them:
And to Allah go back
All questions (for decision)
Do Not Judge Things or Events by its Immediate Outcome!

by Rebekah Shardy

This is for those who have a dog or cat that has become burdensome: another mouth to feed, a wet nose at dawn when you're short-sheeted, a bestower of pale hairs on your black jacket just before you leave for work. I don't expect to change your mind; maybe, your heart.

We adopted Bernie from the Humane Society when our son was five - a good age, we thought, for a first pet. We picked him using the same criteria that guided Charlie Brown when choosing a Christmas tree. He was the scrawniest, most pitiful animal, so matted and dirty we knew neither his color nor shape before we bathed him at home. Revealed as a lustrous white 'Schnoodle' (part-Schnauzer, part-Poodle), he pranced through our apartment giddily; my Cleveland Browns-enamored husband bestowed his name in dedication to the liquid moves of quarterback Bernie Kosar.
In those early days, sweet memories abound: Bernie sleeping with my son, stretched contentedly beneath his little arm, fetchingly playing tug-of-war with an old sock, rolling in the snow. We dressed him in an old T-shirt at Halloween, wrapped bones at Christmas he tore open, engaged him in hide and seek games with chew toys. Lying on the floor with Justin, he licked his face until the room rang with laughter. Bernie was so eager and grateful for our attentions.
As my son spent more time with his friends, Bernie became my inseparable companion. The lone hiker in my family, I took him where no one else would go. We crossed streams, tested ice crust and gingerly picked our way through plains of cactus and yucca; we sat on high rocks, sniffing the air, until Bernie let me know it was time to get to our feet again. Off his lead, he would never stray too far without looking back, waiting until I joined him before pressing on happily.
Coming home from business travel after midnight by taxi, I'd find him at the door waiting when the rest of the house was asleep. He was ecstatic whether I had been gone 2 hours or 2 weeks. Working alone at home as a writer and consultant, he stood between me and complete solitude. Instead of a water cooler of gossip, I had Bernie wanting to go for a walk. Amidst endless deadlines, Bernie made me stop and smell the world.
Midlife took a toll on both of us. I staggered through job permutations and a disabling back injury; he tolerated our new cat's unprovoked bites and the sad state of being upstaged by her saucy charisma. When left alone, Bernie suffered such anxiety he dug irreparable holes in couch and carpet. He emptied the wastebasket looking for forbidden foods and learned the new title of 'Bad Dog.' During Colorado's frequent electrical storms, he swept the house all night panting and whining, keeping us awake. Pragmatic souls suggested that maybe it was time for Bernie to go. I agreed with St. Exupery, who wrote in 'The Little Prince,' "We are responsible for what we tame." I support lifelong commitment to pets the way many Catholics believe in matrimony.
We carried on with weary forbearance for Bernie's sake, occasionally cursing his obtuse ways. Quietly, Bernie's eyes glossed over with cataracts. We noticed he no longer sliced the air with shattering barks when dangerous Girl Scouts or Jehovah Witnesses attacked our house. He couldn't hear the doorbell. Bernie was growing old.
Like him, we tried to not notice. He still walked with me every day, although he panted and sometimes had to stop and rest in strange yards. For some time, he had been too inflexible to climb on the bed; he made do with a place on the floor besides us. Like all who drink the bitter brew of Time, his expectations grew smaller. He dozed more often, sometimes whimpering in his sleep, sometimes wagging his tail.
Now 16, he wheezed frequently, sometimes too discomfited to sleep. When a sister mentioned I might need to put him down, I saw with sudden poignancy his struggle to keep pace. It was not fair to keep him so I would not suffer, although he would gladly put up with it to be at my side. I called him my 'old puppy' because there was still so much enthusiasm beneath his bushy white eyebrows.
I took him for a last walk, a day I cannot recall without tears. Uncharacteristically, he did not 'mark' a single tree or blade of grass. It was as if he knew this world was no longer his to claim. When we returned, he paused at the driveway and looked up at the house for a long time, as if remembering it for some future time. It was our last walk, after all.
Like most people, I want to believe in an afterlife. I want to believe there was someone waiting for Bernie 'on the other side,' as he always waited for me at the end of a trail. I have lost parents, two siblings and several friends to death; in all cases, a chasm opens up at my feet; there are no words with which to greet the Void. There is no getting around the heart's insufficiency before death. It is a tongue for which we do not have words, let alone, answers.
Dharma, the Buddhist term for spiritual teaching, can mean a sermon of the Buddha, a headache at 4 a.m., or a little white dog we loved in spite of ourselves. Dharma is the thing that makes you wake up to life's impermanence and beauty. Among many other things, Bernie was my teacher, in spite of my impatience. During his last, sightless days, I would sometimes feel his soft nose gently nudge my leg for no reason, as if to say, 'pay attention.' I didn't know then to what.
I think he was telling me that the only way to dissolve the world's hardness is with softness of heart (or nose). I think he was telling me that although he owned no possessions, and accomplished no great feats, it is enough to love earnestly and enjoy a walk every day in the sun. I think he was reminding me to pay less acute attention to what is wrong and to love more consciously. One day we are yelling at our dog for something stupid, and the next a stranger is shaving a place on his leg to inject a heart-stopping drug. We all have a little white dog - or nettlesome child, or aggravating parent - who will be gone one day, leaving us with shocked grief that we loved them so much with so little awareness.
Buddha loved animals. He believed theirs was a difficult birth they did not choose, suffering at the hands of others and nature without understanding why. It is one reason our mercy toward them is required. Despite these challenges, Buddhism maintains that even animals can become enlightened and can choose greatness of heart in service of others, overcoming the cycle of rebirth. At the end, I held Bernie and told him he had been a good dog, a brave and noble being, even though it is a hard thing to be a little white dog in this world.
How will I hike again without my Buddha with the ludicrous tail, who patiently taught me the only perfection we can learn is to love imperfection? How will I take my own last walk on earth without him bouncing at my side, my only company the memory of compassion or my refusal of it? I hope I can bid farewell to the sky and grass and sweet air with half of the grace and dignity that you carried, old pup.
I promise to be conscious. I vow to remember love.

May all living beings be free of suffering. May all living beings - whether great or small, visible or invisible, born or yet to be born - be happy. May all beings live in joyousness, safety and peace.
-Tibetan prayer

No matter what religion or culture background we have, we can always learn something valuable from others...
Best wishes to all Angels here.