�Who Says You Can�t Teach an Old Dog a New Trick or Two�

Lesson 33

Reflections on life based upon the book “God Never Blinks” 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours” by Regina Brett.

Believe in Miracles.

The doctor tried to break the news as gently as possible.

The doctor was trying to tell Chris Wood’s parents that the situation was hopeless, even beyond prayers.

To make a long story short, 21 year old Chris (then stationed in the navy in San Diego) was out drinking with friends, feel out of the back of a truck and was hit by multiple vehicles. After 32 surgeries, a three-month coma and years in the veterans hospital in Cleveland, Chris remained with slurred speech, damaged vocal cords, slowed thinking, a crooked jaw, a zipper scar running down his arm that dangles by his side, a screw in his elbow, a brace on his leg, a hinge in his knee and a plate in his head.

But he’s still alive and has now put away his wheel chair and graduated to a walker. It may have taken six years but he also graduated from Kent State University and his commencement speech was merely to walk across the stage and pick up his bachelor of arts in psychology to a standing ovation.

He wasn’t the smartest one there. He wasn’t the most talented one there. But he was there.

That doctor got a postcard from Chris’s Dad letting him know it all turned out. It simply said, “We got the pony.”

I found this an interesting lesson. First off I too believe that in the past many doctors felt it was better to prepare for doom, than it was to have faith in a future. But those times have changed and today I believe most doctors breathe the possibility of hope into each case scenario.

Or possibly Chris’ parents prayers were answered.

Or possibly the doctor may have also tapped into the American will to fight, to take on all challenges, which may have been as positive as any other source.

Point being “It ain’t over until the Fat lady sings!” Politically incorrect statement, but a pretty convincing one in any case.

When I was a little kid my mom stated over and over. Faith can move mountains and I believe her. Not because of her words, but because of my personal experiences.

I know I have written this before but for some reason this little story resonates deeply within me.

A father walks past his son’s bedroom to see his son on his knees praying. The father enters the room and says to his son, “Son, are you still praying for that bike?” The boy replies, “Yes Dad.” The father states, “Son I’ve told you over and over, praying is a waste of your time. You have been praying for that bike for over a year now. Do you see any bike outside?” His son replied, “No Dad.” “Well then why do you keep praying?” snapped his father. “Because God answers my prayers.” Said the little boy. “Oh really, what did he say? His father said with a smirk. The son calmly replied, “Not yet!”

Faith and belief play a huge role in our lives – positively and negatively. The more deeply I look at my life the more I can see how my requests have always been fulfilled. If my belief expected a negative outcome I was gifted with my wish (in most cases it was more a subconscious belief than a conscious external choice) but the result was without question a manifestation of my belief. But the same goes for my positive beliefs. When they feel right and they are based upon what’s right for myself and others they too come shinning through.

Never say never!

Got this in an email – certainly worth a smile

KIDS IN CHURCH

3-year-old Reese: ‘Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen.’
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A little boy was overheard praying: ‘Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.’
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After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, ‘That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.’
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One particular four-year-old prayed, ‘And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.’
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A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, ‘And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?’ One bright little girl replied, ‘Because people are sleeping.’
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A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. ‘If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’ Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, ‘Ryan, you be Jesus!’
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A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. ‘Daddy, what happened to him?’ the son asked. ‘He died and went to Heaven,’ the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, ‘Did God throw him back down?’
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A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, ‘Would you like to say the blessing?’ ‘I wouldn’t know what to say,’ the girl replied. ‘Just say what you hear Mommy say,’ the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, ‘Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people over for dinner?’

In the days preceding the birth of Christ The “talent” was one of several ancient units of mass, as well as corresponding units of value. Also known as one of the earliest forms of money.

A Father’s Gift of Talent

A very wealthy man knew that his time was coming to an end and decided it was time to determine which of his sons he would leave his fortune. He knew this would be a difficult decision because he loved all three of them equally, so he decided to present them with an opportunity to prove which one would be best be suited to take care of the family trust. His idea was to give each son one talent, how they chose to use it was completely up to them; however he would make his decision based upon the results of their choice.

After a set period of time the father approached his first son and asked, “Son, what did you do with your talent?”

The first son had always been good at keeping everything under control, safe and sound so to speak, so he replied “I took my talent and buried it in the dirt so it would not be lost or no one could steal it.”

The father gave his son a hug and blesses his decision.

Next, the father approached his second son and asked, “Son, what did you do with your talent?”

The second son had always been good with money so he replied, “I took my talent and I invested it and now I have ten times the talent.”

The father gave his son a hug and blesses his decision.

Then the father approached his third son and asked, “Son, what did you do with your talent?”

The third son had always been the wild one in the bunch, but was known to have a kind heart. He replied, “I took my talent and I put it in my pocket, I wasn’t sure what I was would do with it. I started walking down the street, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman with a child and they looked very hungry, so I gave them my talent as I felt they needed it more that I did.”

The father gave his son a hug and said, “Son, you are the one I will give the fortune too!”

The father went on to explain, “A talent is not meant to be buried or hidden, it’s not meant to be profited from, it’s meant to be given away and shared, because your talent is not yours to keep, your talent is a gift that was given to you freely and in turn you must give it freely to others.”

Lesson 10

Reflections on life based upon the book “God Never Blinks” 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours by Regina Brett

God Never Gives Us More than We Were Designed to Carry.

This story focuses around Regina’s Uncle Paul and his resounding commitment and love of his son Brett who was born down syndrome. There were no lengths he wouldn’t go to for his son. At the end of the story she speaks of her Uncle’s belief, “God never gives us more than we were designed to carry. Some of us were designed for more, some for less. No matter what, even if we are asked to carry a portion of sky, it is beyond bearable. It is a gift.”

When the doctor told my wife we would be having triplets, our first son was only seven months old. After recovering from the shock I remember going up to my room, kneeling down and cutting a deal with the God of my understanding. I promised to be a strict parent and I wouldn’t run away from my responsibilities, if she was willing to keep them alive while they were under my care.

Well God keep her part and I kept mine, even though I wish I knew then what I know now and that being strict caused as much harm as it did good, but that’s another story. In any case I also believe that the power of our universe never gives us more that we can handle – other than at times our own ego haha.

by Hans Christian Andersen

It was very, very cold. It snowed and it grew dark. It was the last evening of the year, New Year’s Eve. In the cold and dark a poor little girl, with bare head and bare feet, was walking through the streets. When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on, but what could they do? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy ran away with the other. He said he could use it for a cradle when he had children of his own.

So now the little girl went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and a bundle of them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day – no one had given her a copper. Hungry and cold she went, and drew herself together, poor little thing! The snowflakes fell on her long yellow hair, which curled prettily over her neck – but she did not think of that now. In all the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious smell of roast goose out there in the street – it was no doubt New Year’s Eve. Yes, she thought of that!

In a corner formed by two houses, one of which was a little farther from the street than the other, she sat down and crept close. She had drawn up her little feet, but she was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, and she had not a single cent. Her father would beat her, and besides, it was cold at home, for they had nothing over the them but a roof through which the wind whistled, though straw and rags stopped the largest holes.

Her small hands were quite numb with the cold. Ah! a little match might do her good if she only dared draw one from the bundle, and strike it against the wall, and warm her fingers at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch! how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. The fire burned so nicely. It warmed her so well, the little girl was just putting out her feet to warm these, too, when out went the flame. The stove was gone – she sat with only the end of the burned match in her hand.

She struck another. It burned. It gave a light – and where it shone on the wall, the wall became thin like a veil, and she could see through it into the room where a table stood, spread with a white cloth, and with china on it, and the roast goose smoked gloriously, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more splendid to behold, the goose hopped down from the dish, and waddled along the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast – straight to the little girl he came. Then the match went out, and only the thick, damp, cold wall was before her.

She lighted another. Then she was sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree. It was greater and finer than the one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s. Thousands of candles burned upon the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the shop windows looked down upon them. The little girl stretched forth both hands toward them – then the match went out. The Christmas lights went higher and higher. She saw that now they were stars in the sky – one of them fell and made a long line of fire.

“Now some one is dying,” said the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had been good to her, but who was now dead, had said, “When a star falls a soul mounts up to God.”

She rubbed another match against the wall. It became bright again, and in the light there stood the old grandmother clear and shining, mild and lovely.

“Grandmother!” cried the child. “Oh, take me with you! I know you will go when the match is burned out. You will go away like the warm stove, the nice roast goose, and the great glorious Christmas tree!”

And she hastily rubbed the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to hold her grandmother fast. And the matches burned with such a glow that it became brighter than in the middle of the day. Grandmother had never been so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl up in her arms, and both flew in the light and the joy so high, so high! and up there was no cold, nor hunger, nor care – they were with God.

But in the corner by the house sat the little girl, with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the Old Year. The New Year’s sun rose upon the little body, that sat there with the matches, of which one bundle was burned. She wanted to warm herself, the people said. No one knew what fine things she had seen, and in what glory she had gone in with her grandmother to the New Year’s Day.

May your New Year shine brightly upon you!