Horoscope

Sometimes the truth hurts, and that may be the case with something someone is communicating to you right now. Nonetheless, you need to be made aware of a particular flaw of yours that is holding you back. Don't look at someone's critique of your skills or personality quirks as unkind, because the messenger here may be doing you quite a favor. Listen carefully to any personal feedback you receive today, whether you asked for it or not. If you can implement what you learn immediately, you may open the door to an unexpected opportunity.

Take this Quiz

Take this quiz: 
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress. 
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. 
How did you do? 

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are 
no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. 
But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. 
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special. 
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not 
the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. 
Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life. 

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

 

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

             Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.........
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors.........
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........
I received everything I needed!

The Brick

About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.

He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP! - it smashed Into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH..!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"

"Please, mister, please. . . I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" Pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. . . Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at to you. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has positive answers.

Packaging

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?