A Christmas Story

 In the very early 1800’s, a young boy about 14 years old named John lived in an orphanage in Old England along with several other children. Orphanages were dreaded. Orphan meant unwanted and unloved. The orphanage was administered by a master and his wife who were results of meager backgrounds themselves and were short on love but high on discipline. No childlike play, no expression of compassion, no understanding.

Every day of the year was spent working. They worked in gardens, cleaned, sewed, and cooked sometimes for wealthy children. They were up at dawn and worked until dark and usually received only one meal a day. However, they were very grateful because they were taught to be hard workers. John had absolutely nothing to call his own. None of the children did. 

Christmas was the one day of the year when the children did not work and received a gift. A gift for each child - something to call their own. This special gift was an orange. John had been in the orphanage long enough to look forward with delight and anticipation of this special day of Christmas and to the orange he would receive. In Old England, and to John and his orphan companions, an orange was a rare and special gift. It had an unusual aroma of something they smelled only at Christmas. The children prized it so much that they kept it for several days, weeks, and even months - protecting it, smelling it, touching it and loving it. Usually they tried to savor and preserve it for so long that it often rotted before they ever peeled it to enjoy the sweet juice.

Many thought were expressed this year as Christmas time approached. The children would say, “I will keep mine the longest.” They always talked about how big their last orange was and how long they had kept it.

John usually slept with his next to his pillow. He would put it right by his nose and smell of its goodness, holding it tenderly and carefully as not to bruise it. He would dream of children all over the world smelling the sweet aroma of oranges. It gave him security and a sense of well being, hope and dreams of a future filled with good food and a life different from this meager existence.

This year John was overjoyed by the Christmas season. He was becoming a man. He knew he was becoming stronger and soon he would be old enough to leave. He was excited by this anticipation and excited about Christmas. He would save his orange until his birthday in July. If he preserved it very carefully, kept it cool and did not drop it, he might be able to eat it on his birthday. 

Christmas day finally came. The children were so excited as they entered the big dining hall. John could smell the unusual aroma of meat. In his excitement and because of his oversized feet, he tripped, causing a disturbance. Immediately the master roared, “John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you this year.” John’s heart broke violently wide open. He began to cry. He turned and went swiftly back to the cold room and his corner so the small children would not see his anguish.

Then he heard the door open and each of the children entered. Little Elizabeth with her hair falling over her shoulders, a smile on her face, and tears in her eyes held out a piece of rag to John. “Here John,” she said, “this is for you.” John was touched by her youth and innocence as he reached for the bulge in her hand. As he lifted back the edges of the rag he saw a big juicy orange all peeled and quartered. . . and then he realized what they had done. Each had sacrificed their own orange by sharing a quarter and had created a big, beautiful orange for John.

John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day. John’s beginning was a meager existence, however, his growth to manhood was rewarded by wealth and success. 

In memory of that day every year he would send oranges all over the world to children everywhere. His desire was that no child would ever spend Christmas without a special Christmas fruit!

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Author Unknown

 Article Source: http://www.gagirl.com

Man’s £5 debt repaid 39 years on

 
 I came across a bizarre nonetheless, heart warming  story of man’s tendency to do good to others.

A Sheffield man who lent a penniless Australian tourist £5 to pay for a ferry trip in 1969 has been repaid his debt nearly 40 years later.
While Jim Webb was out, a card and £200 was hand delivered to his home by Gary Fenton, to repay the money he borrowed when they met in Ostend, Belgium.
A note inside read: “To Jim Webb, a good man. From Gary Fenton, a tardy payer of debts.”
Mr Webb, 72, has appealed for Mr Fenton to get back in touch.
Mr Webb and a friend were travelling around Europe in April 1969 when they met the Australian traveller, then in his early 20s, at a ferry port in Ostend.
He said: “A young man came up to us and said he hadn’t got enough money to get back to England and would we lend him £5 and he’d repay us as soon as he could afford it.”
The three men travelled back to England and when they parted Mr Fenton took Mr Webb’s address, but he never heard from him.

Then on Sunday, he returned to his home in Bradway to find the surprise card.
Mr Webb said: “I was quite emotional when I read it. In this day and age promises are made and promises are broken and you lose your faith in human nature.
“This was a lovely gesture. Forty years is a long time - it must have been preying on his mind that he hadn’t repaid his debt.
“He said he was giving me £200 as that was £5 for every year that had gone by.”
Mr Webb said the card explained how Mr Fenton, who now lived in Sydney, had come across his address while looking through some old papers.
His note said he had decided to pay him a visit and repay his debt while on a trip to London.
Mr Webb, who is giving the £200 to charity, said: “He didn’t leave an address or telephone number, just an email address which I have tried but so far I haven’t heard back.
“I am very sorry I was not in on Sunday… he would have been very welcome here. Hopefully we will be able to make contact, it would be wonderful to meet up again.”

Article Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s…re/7791427.stm

Life Behind the Art: Paul Smith

Once again, we are reminded by the God Almighty that everything that He has created fits perfectly in its place. We are called to believe in His divinity and we are called to serve a purpose in our life. As we go on with our daily routine, as we gather strength to overcome our recent failures and as we continue to entertain the spirit of doubt and discontent, I ask you to take a look at the images here, and most especially, I ask you to take a look at the great man and his life’s purpose behind his great art.

 Images are taken from http://www.paulsmithfoundation.org

More of his art at  Paul Smith Foundation

 This is his story taken from the Paul Smith Foundation

 
Paul was born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921. Although severe cerebral palsy kept him out of school, it didn’t prevent him from having a remarkable life. Never having a chance as a child to receive a formal education, Paul taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific chess player. With much humility and a charming, self-depreciating sense of humor, he became a man who excelled at making the lives of those around him much richer.

Paul spoke of his family and of his upbringing in very affectionate terms. He often recalled boating trips on the Delaware River and, later, to Bermuda. It’s no surprise that he made a couple dozen pictures of boats and ships.
As a young adult, Paul moved with his parents to Hollywood, Florida where he lived until they passed away.
His incredible visualization and calculation skills helped to make him a formidable chess player. Paul would stop doing just about anything else when he had a chance to play a game!

When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn’t press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys.

In other words, his pictures were based on these characters …

@     #     $     %     ^     &     *     (     )     _    

Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He often gave the originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he kept or received a copy for his own records. Be sure to visit the gallery at this site to see images of his pictures in detail. As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble pencil or charcoal drawings. In the sample collection of his work at this site are examples from a variety of stages in Paul’s development as an artist. It’s interesting to see how he gradually refined his use of perspective and coloring, and how his subject matter reflected the events and personalities of the times.

From 1967 until his death on June 25, 2007, Paul lived at Rose Haven Nursing Center in Roseburg, Oregon, USA.
He was, and is, an inspiration for all.

For more information about Paul, and additional samples of his work, please explore other parts of this site or read Chess and Art — Two Expressions of One Man’s Life, at Chessville.com.

 

 

 

It Is Well With My Soul

 Listen While You Read

“It Is Well With My Soul”

                 Once again I was blessed to have heard the Good News as I sat on my usual spot, one Sunday morning. This  day I came to know Horatio G. Spafford, a prominent Presbyterian lawyer in Chicago during the 19th century. He penned the song, It Is Well With My Soul. The song is probably one of the best gospel tunes ever written.  It reminds us that amidst the hardships and trials of our human lives, God IS the only refuge. It is only FROM God that we can draw True strength. He will never forsake us. It reminds us not to dwell on our personal tragedies and sorrows, instead focus on Christ’s saving work and be thankful for God’s unconditional love for us.

    Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer during his time. Amidst the wealth of provisions, he devoted his time with reading the scriptures and involving himself with various Christian activities. As a prominent figure in Chicago, he invested greatly with real estate properties near the Michigan Lake. Tragedy  struck, when a fire in Chicago wiped out almost the entire city in 1871, including most of his properties. He also lost his only son from pneumonia at the age of four. Some time after the fire, Horatio scheduled a family trip to Europe. He wanted to unwind from the unfortunate events that seem to target him the past few years. It was not only a trip for his family to relax and enjoy, but also a way to assist their friends’ evangelistic missions in Britain. The last minute before their departure, Horatio was unexpectedly held back with some business emergencies. He never was meant to travel with them. The family was forced to leave, as scheduled, ahead of him. They boarded the S.S. Ville du Havre. A few days after, on November 22, the  ship was struck by an iron sailing English vessel, Lockhearn and within a few minutes, sank. All but Horatio’s wife, Anna survived. 

As soon as the survivors were brought to Wales, Anna sent her husband a telegram with her famous two words, “Saved Alone”. Horatio immediately set out to go to his wife by ship. The same route where the ill fated Ville du Havre sank taking his beloved daughters with it. And at the spot of their watery graves, he wrote the words to the song which so deeply describes his grief… but in his sorrow, he found strength in God and faith that whatever and however the trials may come… IT IS WELL WITH HIS SOUL because he has God as his Savior. 

Paid in Full

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning  of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and  told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give  me  a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.
     
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at  his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears,  he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It  had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the
sports  car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,  and the words…PAID IN FULL. 

How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? 

The $20 Bill

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands started going up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air.

“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. 

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special.

Image: www.terragalleria.com

Article:  www.indianchild.com

Determination

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
 

“We told them so.”
“Crazy men and their crazy dreams.”
“It`s foolish to chase wild visions.”

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.

Article Source: www.indianchild.com

Minister Mentor

In 1959, when Lee Kuan Yew assumed the position of Prime Minister of Singapore, his leadership began
a long process of national transformation. Initially, disagreements between ethnic groups and a weak economic
base made the future of this tiny nation uncertain. By 1990, when Lee stepped down from his position, Singapore had
become a model country for ethnic harmony and a thriving economy.’ After serving as Senior Minister, Lee became Minister Mentor in 2004; Since then he has been an invaluable resource to Singapore’s cabinet and to other leaders around the world.
 

Insights from the older generation can greatly benefit the younger generation. Although Moses had been used by God to perform miracles and deliver Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he still listened to the advice of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro had watched his son-in-law care for the concerns of the- people and observed, “Both you and these people who are with you wIll surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you”. Moses followed Jethro’s advice to select, train, and delegate others to share the work load.     

Whom has God placed in your life to advise you as a “minister mentor”? —Dennis Fisher

Things to Reflect On:

What are your weakest character traits?
Do you know a fellow believer who is strong in these areas?
Could that person become your spiritual mentor?

Article Source: Our Daily Bread

Image Source:  http://www.ameinfo.com, http://oneyearbibleimages.com

Wipe Away Tears

I had just finished preaching on the heartaches of life, when a couple approached me at the front of the church. The woman told me about the burden they bore as a family. Their young son had severe physical problems and the strain of the constant care of this needy little guy, coupled with the heartache of knowing they couldn’t improve his situation, sometimes felt unbearable. As the couple shared, with tears in their eyes, their little daughter stood with them - listening and watching. Seeing the obvious hurtetched by the tears on her mother’s face, the girl reached up and gently wiped the tears from her mother’s cheek. It was a simple gesture of love and compassion and a profound display of concern from one so young. 

Something to think about:

Our tears often blurour sight and prevent us from seeing clearly. In those moments, it can be an encouragement to have a friend who cares enough to love us in our pain and walk with us in our struggles. Even though friends can be a help, only Christ can reach BEYOND our tears and touch the deep HURTS of our hearts. HIs comfort can caryy us through the struggles of our lives until that day when God Himself wipes away every tear from our eyes - Bill Crowder 

Image Source: ldswhy.com, 1.bp.blogspot.com

Article Source: Bread of Life

Everyday Prayer

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him

Forever and ever in the next.

Memo from God

To:             You
Date:          Today
From:          God
Subject:      Yourself
Reference:   Life

This is God.  Today I will be handling all of your problems for you.  I do not need your help.  So, have a nice day. I love you. 

P.S.  

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself!  Kindly put it in the SFGTD (Something For God To Do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME.  All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it.  Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

 Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

 Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

 Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

 Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. 

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

The Greatest Last Place Ever

In our darkest hours, we simply fail to believe in the power of God and we fail to stay true to His Words. O God, may you forgive us for our complacency. May we strive hard to strengthen our faith in You. And in the bleakest, loneliest and hardest days of our lives may you always be with us to finish our life’s race.

 Here is a story of a man who truly symbolizes the finest in human spirit….

 A Great Olympic Moment.    
John Stephen Akhwari

One of the most memorable Olympic Athletes of the 1968 Mexico City Games was a marathon runner from
Tanzania. John Stephen Akhwari.  He doesn’t get a mention in the record books.  But that’s not the point.

 In fact, it’s fair to say more people remember John Akhwari than the guy who won gold.  Even though
 John Akhwari came in last!  Half way through the race Akhwari fell and badly gashed his calf, and injured his knee.  
Most runners at that  point would give up.  But after a few minutes John Akhwari picked himself up,
strapped up his leg and kept running.

  A little more than an hour after the winner had finished, with just a few thousand spectators left in the stands,
whistles, motorcycle sounds and flashing red and green lights gave a macabre effect to the cold, dark Mexico City
evening.  The word was passed to the press box and filtered to the few thousand faithful spectators who remained
in the stadium.

 Into the stadium came John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania.  His leg was bloody and bandaged.  Wincing with pain
at every step, he pressed on and the thousands, a few minutes before in silence, began a slow, steady clapping.
Akhwari made his painful way around the track and the cheering grew louder.  The trek around the track
seemed interminable.  But finally he hobbled across the finish an d the crowd roared as if he had been the winner.

 Afterward Akhwari was asked why he endured the pain and why, since there was no chance of winning, he did
not retire from the race. Akwari appeared perplexed at the question.
Then he simply said,

 ”I don’t think you understand.  My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race.
  They sent me to finish the race.”

    ARTICLE SOURCE: external.barker.nsw.edu.au

The Life of A True Salesman: Bill Porter

Yesterday, I was blessed to have come across the name Bill Porter. At first, it sounded to me like an ordinary name, thus I expected him to be… just an ordinary person. But as it turns out, his life is something out of the extraordinary.  I would like to sure with you his story and hopefully touch your lives the way he has touched mine. Bill Porter’s story, all the more convinces me to push on with my life. So many times I have wanted to give up on my life’s journey and take the path of comfort… the path of isolation. Now I am left to reflect on just one word which I sometimes, am tempted to let go… PERSISTENCE! 

Article Source: http://www.people.com

Life of a Salesman

By Susan Horsburgh

Despite Slammed Doors and a Lifelong Disability, Bill Porter, Ever Optimistic, Became a Door-to-Door Phenomenon

How dedicated is Bill Porter? This dedicated: Once, during an ice storm, the door-to-door salesman, who suffers from cerebral palsy, crawled the last part of his seven-mile route on his hands and knees. How positive and upbeat is Porter? This positive and upbeat: He describes that day—during which he also dragged his briefcase full of catalogs and order forms up his iced-over driveway—as “one of the best I ever had selling. More people were home because of the storm.”

Porter’s is one of those jaw-dropping, grit-and-gumption stories that could be a TV movie, and is: Door to Door, which will air July 14 on TNT, tells a very personal tale of quiet heroism and private victories. “Bill’s whole attitude is ‘I never did anything heroic. I had to pay the rent,’ ” says actor William H. Macy, the Fargo star who plays Porter and cowrote the script (with director Steven Schachter) after seeing a 20/20 piece on Porter. “It’s because of this stoical, can-do attitude, this indomitable spirit, that we’re allowed to cry.”

Porter would probably prefer you didn’t. Born in San Francisco in 1932, the only child of a housewife and a salesclerk, he says he wasn’t allowed to dwell on his disability, which left his right side twisted and his speech slurred. His mother, Irene, “was always very positive,” says Porter, “and she insisted that I be the same way.” When he was 17, she enrolled him in public high school, and upon graduation his father, Ernest, insisted that he get a job—a task easier said than done. After four months of daily rejections, Porter’s employment agency told him to go home and collect welfare. So he combed the want ads himself, eventually applying for a job with Watkins, the nation’s oldest door-to-door sales company. “I had to convince them,” recalls Porter. “They gave me the worst territory, and I worked strictly on commission.” His mother would write out the word “persistence” on a slip of paper and hide it in his lunch bag.

After a year Porter began winning sales awards. Nothing could dampen his enthusiasm. When people refused to open the door or slammed it in his face, he would silently repeat the mantra “The next customer will say yes.” Many did—even if Porter had to work on them for years. “He just never takes rejection personally,” says Watkins president Mark Jacobs. “He’s relentless. He’s irresistible.”

And indomitable. Each day Porter—who lived with his mother—would wake at 4:45 a.m. and spend 90 minutes dressing himself before catching a 7:30 bus, the first of two that would take him to his west Portland, Ore., sales territory by 9. Often he wouldn’t return home until after 7 p.m. When his mother went into a nursing home in the mid-1980s (his father had died in 1962), Porter had to ask the bellhops at a downtown hotel to take over one of her tasks—buttoning his collar and attaching his clip-on tie each morning.

But Porter kept working. In 1985 he hired a young mother, Shelly Brady, to be his delivery driver and housekeeper. They soon progressed from “employer and employee to just great friends,” she says. She helped Porter cope with the loss of his mother to Alzheimer’s in 1989. Then, in 1993, after a five-month recovery from back surgery left him without any income and unable to make his mortgage payments, Brady and her husband, John, scraped together enough cash to buy his house and rent it back to him for next to nothing.

In 1998, after the 20/20 piece ran, Porter was barraged by invitations from corporations like Amway and Nike eager to have him visit as a motivational speaker. At Brady’s urging he agreed and would stand beside her while she did most of the talking. “You meet him and realize that what’s important is what’s inside of us,” says Brady, 39, whose book Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter came out in June. “Once you hear his story it just puts everything in perspective.”

Porter says he’s happy to inspire, but selling will always be his main game. Hit by a car in 1997, he hasn’t been able to walk his beat, so he now phones his 500 regular customers from a tiny desk in his bedroom. “I can’t imagine ever retiring,” he says. “My customers are like family.” He never married (”There was a time I had a crush on someone,” he says, “but nothing ever came of it”) and still lives in his mother’s home, spending his free time watching Matlock reruns or listening to sports on the radio. Asked if he’s surprised by what he has achieved, he looks nonplussed, then replies, “It never entered my mind that I couldn’t.”

Susan Horsburgh
Johnny Dodd in Portland

More Bill Porter stories:

lifechallenges.org: Bill Porter

bradbobo.wordpress.com: Door to Door

Our Best Defense

In late January 1956, during the tense days of the Montgomery Boycott, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could not sleep. A threatening phone call had terrified him. So he prayed, ” I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right, But, Lord I must confess that I am weak now. I am faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I am afraid… The people looking are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers… I cant face it alone.”

Dr. King later wrote, ” At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I never experienced Him before.It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, “Stand up for truth, stand up for righteousness and God will be at your side forever.” Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”

 Reflection:

 If we face oppositions when we’re trying to do what is right, WE too MUST CRY OUT to the LORD. He alone is our Rock of Refuge, a fortress of defense. he is our reliable source of strength and protection. - Dave Egner 

Article Source: Our Daily Bread

Image Source: www.inkwellarthouse.com, symonsez.files.wordpress.com

Greatly Valued

A British factory worker and his wife were excited when, after many years of marriage, they discovered they were going to have a child. The man eagerly told his co workers that God had answered his prayers. But they made fun of him for asking God for a child.

When the child was born, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. as the father made his way to work for the first time after the birth, he wondered how to face his colleaues. So he silently prayed, “God give me the wisdom”. Just as he entered, some mocked him, saying ” So God gave you this child?” The new father stood for a long time, asking God for help. At last he said… ” Im glad the Lord gave this child to me and not to you.”

Things to reflect on…

Certainly this man accepted his disabled son as God’s gift to him. In God’s eyes, every person is important. He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, for our sins. May we always remember with grateful hearts, how much He values each and every one of us. May we see in every person that we meet, God’s likeness and may their special dignity grow stronger from our Love and Care. 

Designed by God

Bisons are made in such a way that their natural inclination is to look down. The design of their necks makes it difficult for them to look up. In contrast , giraffes are designed in a way that makes looking up easy. The way their necks were made makes it difficult for them to look down. Two creatures created by the same God but with distinctively different body parts and purposes. Giraffes eat leaves from branches above. Bisons eat grass from the field below. God provides food for both and NEITHER has TO BECOME LIKE THE OTHER TO EAT.

We are reminded that God made EACH of us unique for a purpose. A person’s tendency is to look up and see the big picture while another looks down and focuses on details. Both are important. One is not better than the other. God gave us individual talents and spiritual gifts so that we can work together as a body. Human beings are the crowning jewel of creation and we shine tha brightest not when we see our own likeness reflected in others but when each of us performs the unique functions that God designed for us to do.  

With You I Will Leave

 Andrea Bocelli- Con te Partiro

“Con te partiro” is an Italian song written by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto. It was sung first by Andrea Bocelli in 1995. This was also sung by Paul Potts in his first album after winning Britain’s Got Talent. I got to hear this tune when I was watching Blades of Glory, a comedy flick around three years ago.

Con te partiro

 Quando sono solo
sogno all´orizzonte
e mancan le parole
si lo so che non c´è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada
Con te partirò
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso sì li vivrò
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no, no, non esistono più
con te io li vivrò
Quando sei lontana
sogno all´orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io sì lo so
che sei con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mio sole tu sei qui con me
con me con me
Con te partirò
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso sì li vivrò
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so
no, no, non esistono più
con te io li rivivrò
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so
no, no, non esistono più
con te io li rivivrò
Con te partirò
Io con te

For My Wedding

 Here’s a special song for couples who are planning to finally tie the knot. But it offers a different perspective and a much deeper meaning. Marriage is the ultimate realization of love for those who choose to live their lives with that special someone. It is just so unfortunate that we tend to look at marriage as  just another event in our lives. We only see the glamour and the excitement and not the responsibility that comes with it. When I got thru the lyrics, I was particularly struck by the 2nd verse which says: 

” For my wedding, I don’t want violins
  Or sentimental songs about thick and thin
  I want a moment of silence and a moment of prayer
  For the love we’ll need to make it in the world out there”

For My Wedding by Don Henley (Inside Job album)

For My Wedding

For my wedding, I will dress in black

And never again will I look back
Ah, my dark angels we must part
For I’ve made a sanctuary of my heart

To want what I have
To take what I’m given with grace
For this I pray
On my wedding day

For my wedding, I don’t want violins
Or sentimental songs about thick and thin
I want a moment of silence and a moment of prayer
For the love we’ll need to make it in the world out there

To want what I have
To take what I’m given with grace
For this I pray
On my wedding day
On my wedding day

I dream, and my dreams are all glory and light
That’s what I’ve wanted for my life
And if it hasn’t always been that way
Well, I can dream and I can pray
On my wedding day

So what makes us any different from all the others
Who have tried and failed before us
Maybe nothing, maybe nothing at all
But I pray we’re the lucky ones; I pray we never fall

To want what we have
To take what we’re given with grace
For these things I pray
On my wedding day
On my wedding day 

Dick Hoyt: The True Ironman

I would like to share with you the story of a man who has exemplified the true essence of LOVE. I think this story was one moving factor why I had to simply put up this blog. As a young man, struggling to find a purpose in my life, I am deeply moved by his courage and his motivation to look deeper into all the challenges life threw at him. He never failed to see the BIGGER picture. The very same picture that God is painting for each and every one of us. Sometimes we become selfish and discontent with the things that are always within our reach. We ultimately fail to realize that all things that we have and ALL THAT WE ARE belongs to Him, the Supreme Being. I am grateful to the Lord always because He has never forsaken me despite my inequities and my weakness. - lifeunlimited

                                               My Redeemer Lives: Team Hoyt

  Paying Tribute to Dick Hoyt

by: Rep. Duncan [R-TN]: www.govtrack.us

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to a man who is not from my districts or even from my State, but who certainly must be one of the most wonderful men of whom I have ever read. The story of Dick Hoyt of Holland, Massachusetts is one of the most amazing, inspiring stories I have ever read.

Rick Reilly, a columnist for Sports Illustrated, wrote about Mr. Hoyt in a column published in that magazine the week before last. Mr. Reilly described it as a love story that began 43 years ago when Mr. Hoyt’s son Rick “was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain damaged and unable to control his limbs.”

The Hoyts were told Rick would be a vegetable for the rest of his life and that they should put him in an institution. They refused.

When Rick was 11, they took him to engineers at Tufts University to ask them if there was some way to allow him to communicate. They were told, no way, nothing was going on in Rick’s brain.

“Tell him a joke,” Mr. Hoyt said. “They did. Rick laughed.” They had noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. There was a lot going on in Rick’s brain.

The engineers rigged up a computer that Rick could peck letters on by hitting it with a stick attached to the side of his head. His first words were, “Go Bruins!”

After a high school classmate of Rick’s was paralyzed in an accident, and a charity run was organized, Rick pecked out the words, “Dad, I want to do that.”

Mr. Hoyt, who called himself a porker, pushed Rick in that race, and Rick typed out “Dad, when we were running, it felt like I was not disabled anymore.”

Now, here comes the amazing part.

Since that first race, Dick Hoyt has pushed Rick in 85 marathons, 26.2 miles each. Twenty-four times they have run in the Boston Marathon.

Listen to Rick Reilly’s column: “Their best time, 2 hours 40, minutes in 1992; only 35 minutes off the world record which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.”

Now Dick Hoyt is 65, his son is 43. They have done 212 triathlons, including four grueling, 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii, 8 triathlons altogether where the father not only pushed his son 26.2 miles in a wheelchair, but also pulled him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming, and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars, all in the same day.

Columnist Reilly wrote, “I try to be a good father, but compared with Dick Hoyt I suck.”

What a special son. What a special father. What a special story.

I thank Rick Reilly for writing such a wonderful column.

It is an honor to pay tribute to a man like Dick Hoyt.

I am sure that his special relationship with his son has inspired countless numbers across the land and has, in a very unique way, made this Nation a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is the most inspiring story I have ever read. I would like to attach the column from Sports Illustrated to my remarks here tonight and call them to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the RECORD.

Strongest Dad in the World

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars–all in the same day.

Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much–except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life;” Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”

But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want to do that.”

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was sore for two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

“No way,” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?”

How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think?

 Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time’? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992–only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

“No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” one doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.”

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

“The thing I’d most like,” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”

Apology Hotline

Jesse Jacobs has created an APOLOGY HOTLINE. This hotline has made it possible to apologize WITHOUT actually talking to the person you have wronged. People who are unable, or simply unwilling to unburden their conscience in person call the hotline and leave a message on an answering machine. Each week, 40-50 calls are logged, as people apologize for things from adultery to embezzlement. The hotline offers participants a chance to alleviate their guilt and, to some degree, to own up to their faults.

 Something to think about… 

The apology hotline may seem to offer some relief from guilt, but this is not how Jesus instructed His followers to handle conflict. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us to deal with conflict by taking the INITIATIVE and going to the offended person to apologize for the wrongdoing. In fact, Jesus taught us that, the problem of human estrangement is so serious that we should even interrupt our worship to gon a personal mission of reconciliation.  Jesus encouraged His followers to be reconciled with one another eagerly, aggressively, quickly and personally.

One more thing… Are any of your relationships broken or estranged because of something you said or did? Take the INITIATIVE! Go now and do all you can do to be reconciled. Remember that, at the heart of all conflict is a SELFISH heart.

Article Source: Marvin Williams from Our Daily Bread

Image Source:  www.krittercards.com