Watch Out Man........U Better.....

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have
decided to choose one of you.

"The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to
give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.

I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from
today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.

I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be
the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a
seed.. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him
get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought
their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.

Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot.. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.

Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed
- Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then
announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive
Officer! His name is Jim!"

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When
you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for
the one I gave you.

Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now it will determine what you will reap
later..

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

Always Think BIG........

A lady in a faded grey dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun suit walked in timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office.

The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Harvard.

"We want to see the President," the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the lady replied.

For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away.

They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president." Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she said to him.

The President, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.


The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed.

My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus." The president wasn't touched....


He was shocked. "Madam," he said, gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.

" "Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then exclaimed, "A building!

Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard.

" For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he! could get rid of them now.

The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?"
Her husband nodded.


The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment.

Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto , California where they established the University that bears their name? Stanford University , a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

Most of the time we judge people by their outer appearance, which can be misleading. And in this impression only we tend to treat people badly by thinking they can do nothing for us thus we tend to loose our potential good friends, employees or customers.

Small people talk about others,
Average people talk about things,
Great people talk about ideas.

Sacred Space and time……

I prefer to use the word scared in front of space, because as you will read on its really sacred and once you deicide to have it your self you too will called it sacred.

I still remember as a seminarian, once we began to live in our individual rooms I would cherish the time I spent alone in my room all by myself…it gave me the time to reflect, look back on the events that happened and also plan for the future. Silence was no more killing, but silence was music for my ears.

For those who know me I was not like that before. I always wanted to be in company of friends, loved noise and entertainment and loved entertaining others. I would listen to loud music, always wanted someone to be there by my side. In fact I was holding on to things and persons that made my life difficult to live and for others too. I loved cracking jokes and making other laugh.

But in Seminary things began to change. I enjoyed the silence that came along. I would enjoy the Music of silence and cherished every moment of it. In fact I would look forward to the morning silence at our morning prayer or the silence during our recollections. It gave the space and the time for my self in a crowed and fast space world.

What changed me? Is a million dolor question. Once I was reflecting on the Scripture passage where Jesus got up early in the morning and went to the hill to pray. As I reflected on this passage, I realized that even Jesus although he had come for the people to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth, too wanted to have a time for himself, a time that he called HIS.

A few years later I met a friend who was having a problem in her married life. She shared with me her whole life story and how she made space and time for herself, her husband and kids too. After many years of love and marriage, they began to have problems in their lives. Years of arguments and fights only destroyed them. After many years she made up her mind… there has to be a solution to all this. She wanted some fresh air. Separation was not the answer. After a lot of thinking she finally decided to have her own space. Although they lived under the same roof, same room, they lived as individuals, yet being there for each other when there was a need. If one is sick or indisposed, the other would step in to help. The bond that brought them together in the first place has had a chance to strengthen again. Its not a marriage of love songs, but it has brought a measure of happiness to both.

Kahil Gibran, a modern day poet has this to say: “You shall be together even in silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Sing and dance and be joyous, but let each of you be alone..”

Space is needed in all spheres of life be it single, religious or married life. But it can change from time to time. For example, for a person who has had a break down in relationship he/she could find that space or time unfriendly yet at the same time a help to live their feelings. While on the other hand people madly in love or newly married couples would look forward to these moments of being alone with each other. But as life goes on this feeling of intimacy may give way to a feeling of crowded, especially after a disagreement. And if that disagreement is serious, it makes every contact with that person difficult and painful.

We know how animals mark out and defend their territory, birds by their song, mammals by their smell. Children have an animal feel for their patch: they do not like others invading their bed, [ or their side of the bed ],their drawer, or cupboard or chair or toys, or if they are lucky even their rooms. That need persists even in the intimacy of marriage. Even loving adults need room to stretch and be themselves. So it is important to keep some space for yourself, a time that you can call your own.

So if you sense a desire to be alone, don’t feel guilty. Make space for your self. It will help solve many problem.

We FORWARD a lot of stupid mails....encourage people to follow the chain letters or emails..but how many of us encourage others to read the BIBLE...here is an inspiring story that will help us spend a few more minutes reading and reflecting on the bible.....

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his BIBLE. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, ' Grandpa! I try to read the BIBLE just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the BIBLE do?'

The Grand father quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, 'Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You'll have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the
basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough,'

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Grandpa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.' The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been trans formed from a dirty old coal basket and
was now clean, inside and out.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the BIBLE. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Jesus in our lives.' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

Read the Bible Daily...it will wash your SOUL clean......

Am i a Good Disciple of Jesus!!!!!

Am i a Good Disciple of Jesus!!!!!

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.'

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

The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?'

'Yes' he replied.

'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself
'Christian.'

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.