Heaven's Grocery Store

As I was walking down life's highway many years ago I came upon a sign that read Heavens Grocery Store.

When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide And when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere One handed me a basket and said; "My child shop with care."
Everything a human needed was in that grocery store And what you could not carry you could come back for more.

First I got some Patience. Love was in that same row. Further down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two. And Charity of course I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost It was all over the place. And then some Strength and Courage to help me run this race.

My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace, And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.

Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill, For I thought I had everything to do the Masters will.

As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in, For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.

Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf. Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel "Now how much do I owe?"

He smiled and said; "Just take them everywhere you go."

Again I asked; "Really now, How much do I owe?"

"My child;" he said, "God paid your bill a long long time ago."

Short Stories...Leaving The Past Behind

...She looked at her father for the last time before he was finally laid to rest. And she said to herself, "I forgive you father." She has forgiven him but she has not forgotten the turmoil, terror and abuse that she went through.

Her father was working away most of the time when she was growing up. But when he was home, he was violent. She remembered crying in the middle of the night listening to him beating up her mother. She could
hear her sobs. And she wept because she could not do anything about it.

She was terrified of him. Her and her siblings were not supposed to do any thing wrong according to his terms. When she was six years old he pushed her head so hard onto the floor. She still have the scar on her forehead.

When her mother was diagnosed with depression, the four of them siblings had to move and they lived with their father. He hired someone to take care of them while he was away at work.

There was so much fear in every one of them when he was back. Her father was so angry with one of her brother's one day that he turned him upside down and wanted to throw him off. She watched that episode with horror.

From then on, she tried not to make any mistakes. She wept inside because he did not want to hear any whimpers. And she continued watching him vent his anger on the rest of her siblings.

When her father divorced her mother, she did not know how to feel or react. Her mother was back with them but her depression kept relapsing. They were neglected.

She found solace from friends at school. She enjoyed reading stories and literature. She spent her time in the school library. There was no home sweet home.

Her mother could not take care of her. Her father took her away to live with his new family. It did not work out. She was sent to a welfare home.

She did not deserve to be abandoned but she was helpless. She was mad with her father. She was not angry with her mother but she just did not understand why her mother had to be sick.

Until recently, she did not want to admit that her childhood affected her emotionally and mentally. She have brought the memories of bygone age along into her daily existence.

In all her relationships, everything went well until her partners suggested on serious commitments. She would then sabotage the relationships.

She was not able to open up to anyone. She was very defensive when given any advice or opinion on her attitude and behavior.

When there were arguments, she clamped up or walked off. She never wanted to face any issues and resolve them.

And she would not cry in front of anyone no matter how sad or hurt she was. She remembered a time when her sister was badly wounded and hospitalized. She did not want anyone to see her cry. She walked away and cried her heart out alone in a secluded place.

She excelled in her career by putting in lots of hours and efforts. Now she realized that it was one way of escaping reality. She kept herself so busy so that she do not notice things that needed attention. She was using work as a means to avoid commitments.

There was one thing that she gained from the experience of being abandoned. She was able to sit quietly alone for hours and reflect.

It has developed her fascination on nature's beauty. She love the feel of the wind blowing on her face. I enjoy watching the rain falling. And no matter how bad the weather is, it is still beautiful.

She became curious about many things. She questioned others and herself about life and how some things happen to certain people. She wondered why people behave the way they do. She looked for the answers.

She have developed the strength to persevere. But that is not enough. She want to become a survivor who is able to balance her life and enjoy the abundance that the universe has to offer.

She have decided to break herself free from the shackles of her fragile upbringing. She promise herself that she will not allow her past to continue ruining her future.

This child has grown up and will not weep in silence anymore....

This is a very sad story. 

Thank God I have a lovable father. Although he have a list of chores for me before he laid to rest, and a lot of time I feel so reluctant and want to escape from the chores, but he still the best father anyone could ever had. 

He was the second child out of 11. My elder uncle passed away at his young age leaving 4 children. 1940-1970 are tough years, in fact, I really don't know how he could possibly manage to support the family without a single complaint. He never spoke on his past, most of his stories was told by my mum. In his life, all things tie to goal. I do miss both of them very much and they will always lies in my heart. I am in the process of learning to let go but I won't give up.   

A History to learn...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 realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds
are.

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

Short Stories...A Mother's Love

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said: 

For cutting the grass: $5.00 
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00 
For going to the store for you: $.50 
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25 
Taking out the garbage: $1.00 
For getting a good report card: $5.00 
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00 
Total owed: $14.75 

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote: 

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No Charge 

For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge 

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge 

For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge 

For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge 

Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No Charge. 

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL". 

Lessons:

You will never how much your parents worth till you become a parent 

Be a giver not an requester, especially with your parents. there is a lot to give, besides money. 

Short Stories...A box of kisses

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." 

The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him 
with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness. 

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an 
imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.

Short Stories...A tale of two salesmen

Maybe you have heard of the tale of the two salesmen who went to Africa. The story goes like this. 

A western shoe salesman went to Africa to scout the market. He wired his manufacturer, `I want to come home. Nobody wears shoes in this part of Africa.' 

They brought him home and sent another salesman. The new salesman hurriedly wired an order, `Everybody here needs shoes!" Seeing everyone bear-footed in that area of Africa may have discouraged the first salesman. 

He must have thought, "Geeesh, nobody uses shoes here, not even a hand-made footwear. How in the world can I sell shoes here when they don't see the benefit of it? I better go home." 
He missed the opportunity to make it big. He could not see. On the other hand, the second salesman thought, "If I can only convince them to wear shoes. If I can show them the benefit. I can almost imagine whole villages buying my shoes. Wow! Aside from helping them enjoy the benefit of wearing shoes, I am going to make a great profit! I can get married and start a family and I can buy that dream house…" 

When I first heard this story, I said to myself, "I am determined to be the second salesman who saw the opportunity rather than the trend." 

I must admit though that there were moments in my life that I stayed on the "what is" and accepted it rather than on the "what can be" and dared to make a difference. 

Now I cannot imagine life without vision. It is not worth living. Which of the two salesmen are you? The one who could not see the potential or the one who could see the vast opportunity? 
If you choose the former then you have destined yourself to be average or less. But if you wish to be the latter then you have taken the first step to a great life. 

"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision." - Helen Keller 

"The poorest man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream." - Pennsylvania School Journal 

Short Stories...The Grace of God 神的恩典

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

一次海難中唯一的倖存者被衝到一個又小又無人居住的島嶼。他狂熱地祈禱上帝救他，而每天都细看周围，但沒有任何援助到來。

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. 

精疲力尽之下，他用浮木给自己建立了一個簡陋来保護自己，並保存他所有剩下的東西。但有一天，捕完食物後，回到家，發現他的小茅屋着火了，濃煙匆天。

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

最悲的是，一切都沒有了。他震驚的感到悲痛和憤怒。 “上帝啊，你怎麼會這樣對我！”他哭了。然而，第二天一早，他被正靠近小島的船聲驚醒了。是的，有人來救他了。 “你怎麼知道我在這裡？”疲憊的他向救援人員問。他們回答說：“我們看到了你的濃煙信号。”

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time if your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.

當事情變得糟糕，人就很容易氣餒。即使在動盪的痛苦和折磨下，也不可以失去信心，因為上帝一直都在我們的生活。記住，如果你的小木屋燃燒在地上 - 那可能只是一個煙霧信号，召喚神的恩典。

And of course, in the reality world, when there's a fire, please extinguish it. Do not fight a fire not worth fighting, evacuate the building, personal safety comes first!

當然，在现实世界，當有失火时，請立刻灭火！假如火太猛，立刻离开火场，安全第一！

Short Stories...What Goes Around Comes Around

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. 

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'  Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. 

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. Sh e tol d him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about 

being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. 

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A f ew miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the na pkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have
been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another da y. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the
money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today I sent you this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.  

Types of Mother

I found this article from Psychologies Magazine, very interesting....The 5 types mother....so....which type of mother you have?

Perfectionist mother

Typically, an over-controlling, fearful and anxious woman for whom appearance is everything. ”Her children tend to be hypercritical of themselves, feeling inadequate and emotionally empty”, says Poulter.

Children of a perfectionist mother…

Your strengths: You can have a strong sense of commitment in relationships, and are responsible and reliable in everything you do. You value hard work and persistence as core character qualities.

Emotional legacy: You always feel that the opinions of others are far more important than your own. You often have a heightened sense that the world is watching and judging you.

Unpredictable mother 

Anxious, angry, excessively emotional, she is overwhelmed by feelings so her parenting style is based purely on mood. This type has the most chaotic of the five styles. She creates problems, issues and crises in her mind, through her emotions and relationships, and passes them on to her children.

Children of an unpredictable mother…
Your strengths: Excellent people skills and the ability to be empathic. Often great motivators, you offer emotional support to colleagues as well as friends and family.

Emotional legacy: Growing up with an ingrained need to take care of people and their emotional issues, you can be overwhelmed by emotions such as anger, anxiety and depression. You learn early on how to read people and situations, in order to manage the strong feelings of others.

The best friend mother 

She enjoys treating her children as equals in order to avoid the responsibility of setting boundaries. This mother believes her life would be over if she embraced motherhood so avoids that role. Instead, both child and parent assume the role of emotional confidante and partner, leaving the child effectively motherless. ‘In this situation, the emotional needs of the mother are so consuming, she has to rely on the child to meet them,’ says Poulter.
Children of a best friend mother…
Your strengths: You understand the importance of boundaries between parents, children, colleagues and families. Because of your sense of motherlessness, you are often aware that you take the lead and assume the responsible role as an adult.

Emotional legacy: You may feel emotionally neglected with a fear of rejection. You can be resentful and bitter in relationships, tending to feel unloved and under-appreciated.

The me-first mother

One of the most prevalent mothering styles, me-firsts are unable to view their children as separate individuals and tend to be self-absorbed and insecure. Their offspring will learn from an early age that their role is to make their mother shine.

Children of a me-first mother…
Your strengths: You are extremely good at supporting others, and are intuitive and insightful with people in all types ofrelationships. You are loyal and supportive, able to appreciate other people’s needs and solve problems.

Emotional legacy: You doubt your own decision-making abilities. You find it difficult to trust your own feelings on any matter because you view your mother’s opinion as more important and powerful than your own.

The complete mother

This ideal is only experienced by about 10 per cent of us, says Poulter. The complete mother combines the best elements of the other four styles. Emotionally balanced, she can see her children as individuals and help them achieve their own independence. She isn’t necessarily perfect herself but whatever her emotional circumstances, she is committed to motherhood — regardless of other responsibilities outside the home.

Children of a complete mother…
Strengths: Because you feel loved and understood you can take risks, embrace change and initiate relationships without fear of rejection.

Emotional legacy: You will have the ability and insight to appreciate that other people, colleagues and family members have their own perspectives. You’ll be able to navigate the challenges of becoming independent and won’t feel emotionally enmeshed with your mother.