Keep Your Fork

Often times, when someone is making arrangements, they have a request as to what they want done. The lady in the following author unknown story tells her reason for "keeping her fork".

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Priest and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Priest was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What' that?" came the Priest's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Priest stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Priest.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from there on out, I have always done so. I have also, always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement."

"In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork ..The best is yet to come."

The Priest's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.

She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Priest heard the question: "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Priest told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork."

Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share ... being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.

Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means sending back to the person who sent it to you.

And keep your fork.

The Right Place at the Right Time

I had my alarm set this morning and woke up to the kid's radio program, "paws and tails". It's always pretty cute, so I left the radio on and listened to the program.
One of the adult characters was going to take a young character out fishing. Everything that could happen prevented them from getting away on time. The young girl broke her compact mirror, they stopped to help an elderly lady start her car and ended up with her handkerchief, they ran into the scout troop at the fishing store as well as a few other untimely events.

When they finally got out to the fishing spot caught a huge fish, they ended up chasing it down the river. Sadly, the fish broke the line and got away. Then...they heard someone moaning. It turns out that they ended up in the right place at the right time. They were able to help rescue a man who had fallen and banged his head. They used the handkerchief to cool his forehead, the broken compact to signal the boy scout troops who were camping not far off...and the fish that got away led them to the right spot. So even though all sorts of problems happened, everything worked out for good. They were able to help rescue the person who had fallen.

The scripture that they brought out was, "God works all things together for good to those who love the Lord." Now, this doesn't mean that God causes bad things or difficult things to happen. But, he can turn the bad situation out for the good.

If I think about some of the things that I have gone through, some of the bad things that have happened, often I can also think of something good that came out of it all. Has it ever happened to you? Did something good come out of the ordeal? Next time when you have gone through something, look back - maybe something good ended up coming out of a bad situation.

Put in the Big Rocks First

Happy New Year Everyone!

In First Things First, a book by Stephen Covey(an author I really like), he tells a story about a presentation given at a seminar. The seminar presenter pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar and placed it next to a pile of fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

The group replied, "Yes."

He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar. The speaker jiggled the jar until the gravel filled the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

This time, the group replied, "Probably not."

The speaker then added some sand and asked, "Is the jar full?"

"No!" shouted the group.

Finally, the speaker filled the jar to the brim with water and asked the group the point of this illustration.

Someone replied that you could always fit more things into your life if "you really work at it."

"No," countered the speaker. "The point is, if you don't put the big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?"

This is a perfect example of your life! The big rocks represent the things in your life that are important to you. These are the things that will make you happy, successful and healthy in life. Say yes, to adding the big rocks first. Fill your life with things that really matter, enjoying the things that you love and having time for yourself. Don't try to fit the important things that matter in around all those little things (the sand) that don't mean as much. When the smaller gravel or sand tries to fill your time, you won't have time for those "big rocks".

After all, you CAN always add more into your life, but it just makes it fuller, not necessarily better. So, think about the big rocks in your life as you start this new year.
Some of the big rocks in my life would be; God, my family, my friends, my business, my volunteer work, down time to do something I enjoy and a few other things. What are some of the big rocks in your life?

The Real Santa Claus

Christmas has transformed into both a religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. Have you wondered how Santa Claus became a part of Christmas traditions?

There was a real Santa Claus (ST. Nicholas) long ago. Nicholas became a bishop sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was a kind and genrous young man. He inherited a fortune which he used to help people in need.

He wore a long red robe and a red hat and travelled on horseback to neighboring villages. He would travel to nearby villages helping the families and their children. Children would see him coming and come to greet him.

In one village, bishop Nicholas heard about a man who had fallen on hard times. He had three daughters and didn't have money for a dowry so that they could get married.

One night, Nicholas crept up to the home where the family lived. He secretly tossed bags of gold down the chimney. Earlier that day, the three sisters had hung their newly washed stockings by the fireplace to dry. One bag of gold that Nicholas dropped fell into one of the stockings below.

As the story of these three sisters spread from village to village, other people began to hang their stockings by the fire, hoping to find a secret gift when they awoke the next morning. People all over the world began to celebrate, hanging stockings by the fire and waking to find them filled with candy, fruit, nuts or toys.

The American name for him, Santa Claus, comes from the Dutch pronounciation of St. Nicholas which is Sinterklaas. Santa became a modified version of the Famous Nicolas of Myra. In 1823, his appearance and mannerisms changed to become today's Santa Claus, made famous by the poem, "The Night Before Christmas." written by Clement Clarke Moore. Later still, the beverage company, Coca-Cola hired an artist to depict a Santa Claus drinking coca-cola. They insisted that he be fashioned wearing a Bright Red (Coca-cola color) suit.

So, although there is no more Santa Claus, there was a real Santa Claus long ago. Many people choose to continue to celebrate Santa and the "Christmas Spirit." Whatever you choose, please don't forget the real reason for the season. We are celebrating the Birth of our Saviour, Jesus.

The "Stuff of Christmas"

Everyday I seem to have lots of great blog ideas floating around. It's taking the time to set them to print on the screen that matters. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Here it is the week of Christmas - just a few days before. What great things do you find yourself doing during the Christmas season? Do you have some fun family traditions?

Ever notice how stressed people seems at Christmas? Christmas is supposed to be "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." as the song declares. It's easy to get so caught up doing the "stuff" of Christmas that it's easy to forget why we celebrate.

I love the Christmas parties, buying or making gifts for family and friends that I know they will love. I love the decorating, Christmas caroling, Christmas programs, the lights, the Christmas dinner, the visiting that goes on and all the other things that Christmas brings. In the hustle and bustle, don't forget that Christmas is the time when we celebrate Jesus coming to earth. He came as a baby, to grow up to be a man without sin and to save the world from sin through his death on the cross. Here are some meanings to the "stuff" of Christmas.

The lights represent Jesus as the light of the world

The Angel on the tree (or the star) represent the angels that came to the shepherds and the star represents the star that the wisemen followed to his birthplace.

The presents represent the gifts that were given to Jesus

Candles symbolize that Christ is the light of the World

The Holly symbolizes the Crown of Thorns that Jesus wore at his death on the cross

The Christmas Tree symbolizes life.

And - last but not least, the colors of Christmas.

Red - Christ's blood shed for our sin.

Green - We have eternal life in Christ.

White - The purity of Christ.

Gold - The Kingship and Royalty of Christ

So there you have it. So, no matter what traditions you practice at this time of year, remember to celebrate the reason for the season - Jesus!

The Lord is my Shepherd explained

The Lord is my Shepherd
(That's Relationship!)

I shall not want
(That's Supply!)

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
(That's Rest!)

He leadeth me beside the still waters
(That's Refreshment!)

He restoreth my soul
(That' s Healing!)

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
(That's Guidance!)

For His name sake
(That's Purpose!)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
(That's Testing!)

I will fear no evil
(That' s Protection!)

For Thou art with me
(That's Faithfulness!)

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me
(That's Discipline!)

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
(That's Hope!)

Thou annointest my head with oil
(That's Consecration!)

My cup runneth over
(That's Abundance!)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
(That's Blessings!)

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
(That's Security!)

Forever
(That's Eternity!)

What does Math have to do with Hard work, Knowledge, Attitude and the Love of God?

When I was a child, I loved math. I figured things out easily. As I got older and everything got a little more difficult, I decided that math definitely was not my favorite subject. Here is a really cool little calculation:





1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 987 65
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321


1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111


9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn’t it?


And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this…

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help

Answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
Get you there, It’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!