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

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."

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.

 

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"It Is Well With My Soul"

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                 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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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.