Heaven's Grocery Store

 

Last Christmas, I received a pin-up poster with the following poem, as a Christmas present from my boss. hereby I would like to share this lovely poem with you.


 Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down life's highway a long, long time ago. 
One day I saw a sign that read, "HEAVEN'S GROCERY STORE".
As I got a little closer, the door opened wide,
and I found myself 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 if you couldn't carry it all, you could come back the next day for more. 

First, I got some PATIENCE. LOVE was in the same row.
Further down was UNDERSTANDING, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. 
I just couldn't miss the holy ghost, for it was all over the place.

I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE, to help me run this race.
By then my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed some GRACE.
I didn't forget SALVATION, for SALVATION was free. 
So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. 

Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill.
For I thought I had everything to do the master's will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER; and I just had to put that in,
for I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin.

PEACE and JOY were plentiful; they were last 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 again and said, "My child, Jesus paid your bill a long, long time ago."
 

by Ron DeMarco and friend

Just Stay 留下来

The next time when someone needs you ...
 just be there.  Stay.

Have a Great Day and Bless You in some little way or another today.

Just Stay
 
A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.  Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

留下来

当年轻的陆战队员走进医院的门厅时，夜色已深。护士把疲惫不堪却心急如焚的军人带到了病床边。

“你的儿子来了。”护士轻轻地告诉老人，接着又重复了许多遍，直到老人睁开眼睛。老人被注射了大剂量镇静剂，恍惚间发现身穿海军陆战队制服的年轻人站在氧气罩外面，于是向他伸出手。

年轻的陆战队员马上用他那有力的手握住了老人。护士拿来了椅子，陆战队员在床边坐了下来。

医院的夜是漫长的。漫漫长夜中，年轻人就一直坐在灯光昏暗的病房中，执着老人的手，向他传递着希望和力量。护士几次让年轻人休息活动一下，他都谢绝了。

每次护士来到病房时，年轻的军人都坐在那儿，时而喃喃地对老人说几句。对她的到来和医院夜里的一应声响都浑然不觉——无论是医务人员换班时相互的叮嘱不是其他病人的呻吟抑或是鼾声。而老人却始终缄口不语，只是紧紧地握着儿子的手。

黎明来临前，老人去了。年轻的陆战队员从床边挪开已经被老人握得麻木的手，然后去通知了护士。护士去料理老人后事的工夫，年轻人点了支烟——这还是他来到医院后的第一支烟。

料理完老人后，护士回到了办公室，年轻人还等在那里。她正要说些节哀之类的劝慰之辞时，年轻人打断了她：“这人是谁？”年轻人问。

“他是你父亲啊！”护士很诧异。

“不，他不是我父亲。”年轻人很平静，“以前我从没见过他。”

“那我带你见到他时，你怎么不说呢？”

“我当时就明白了，这是个误会，但是，我也知道——他需要我。所以我留下了。”

The Barber Who Didn´t Believe 不信上帝的理发师

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering ...

The Barber Who Didn´t Believe

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.  They talked about so many things and various subjects.  When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:"I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.  Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?  If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.  I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber : "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.  "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed.  "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist!  That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer.  "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!  That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.  That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."


不信上帝的理发师

一个男士去理发店削剪头发和胡须。理发师剪发时，他们开始谈话。

他们谈了许多事和不同的话题，当他们话题最终触及到上帝时，理发师说：“我不相信上帝存在。”

“你为什么这样说？”顾客问。

“你走到外面街上，就会意识到上帝不存在。告诉我，若上帝存在，会有这么多病人吗？会有遗弃的孩子吗？若上帝存在，就不会有悲伤和疼痛。我无法想象一个充满爱的上帝会让这些事发生。”

这个顾客想了一会儿，没有回答因为他不想引发争论。

理发师理好发，顾客离开店。

离开理发店之后，他看见街上有个人留着很杂乱的长发和邋遢的胡须。他看上去很脏乱邋遢。

顾客又回到理发店对理发师说：“你知道吗？理发师不存在。”

“你如何能这样说？”理发师很奇怪地问，“我就在这儿，我是理发师。我刚给你理发。”

“不！”顾客大声说。“理发师不存在，因为若他们存在，就没有人会如门外那人一样，有脏乱的头发和邋遢的胡须。”

“噢，但理发师确实存在！若人不来找我理发，才会如此脏乱邋遢。”“正是这样！”顾客确定地说。“这正是关键！上帝也一样确实存在！当人们不去找寻他，不依靠他的帮助，就是为什么世界上有如此多的悲伤和疼痛的原因。”

How I spend my time on plane

Early December, due to work, made a trip to Sydney. As could not sleep throughout the whole plane journey for both ways, thus in the end have watched the following 8 movies in total.

 

 

Mao's Last Dancer - A very good film that is worth seeing
The Time Traveller's Wife - Disappointed, prefer the novel
Harry Potter Half Blood Prince - Boring zzzz
District 9 - Excellent Science Fiction movie
Ice Age Dawn & Dinosaurs - so so
Transformer Revenge of the Fallen - great visual effect
Shorts - interesting
Aliens in the Attic - just another adventure film

Here's a brief introduction of the film which I recommend.

Synopsis from the official website :

From internationally acclaimed Australian film director Bruce Beresford comes the inspirational true story of a small boy’s extraordinary journey from poverty to international stardom.
From a grueling apprenticeship as a classical dancer in communist China, to the glory of creative freedom in America. But, there is a painful price to be paid for his quest for self expression. Mao’s Last Dancer captures the intoxicating effects of first love and celebrity, the pain of exile, and ultimately the triumph of individual endeavour over ideology.
 Filmed in China, the US and Australia and with a brilliant performance from Chi Cao as Li Cunxin, Mao’s Last Dancer is an exhilarating exploration of what it means to be free.

Li Cun Xin - Mao's Last Dancer
Mao's Last Dancer Website

Have A Little Faith

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Nonfiction
Author:	Mitch Albom

Two very different men: Albert Lewis, a rabbi who he has been asked to write a eulogy for, Henry Covington, a former drug dealer and convict who became a pastor, two different worlds, two very different religions, but one strongly shared similarity: a life of faith.

I finished the book in 6 (50 mins each) subway trips to and fro my house and office.

Probably I had set a high expectation on Mitch Albom, somehow I felt a bit disappointed after reading this book, I did not get much out of it.

Personally, I felt like as though Mitch was trying to create another Tuesdays with Morrie, but too bad, one Tuesdays with Morrie is enough.
Thus no surprise, no excitement, a bit draggy.
Common questions had been raised, but not deeply discussed.

One part that touches me is when Mitch and Lewis were discussing about war, during a trip to Israel in the 1960s, Lewis, toured some enemy ruins and found an Arabic schoolbook with some family photographs contained therein.
He keeps the schoolbook and photographs for years to remind him of the costs of war. When Mitch says that those people were in fact the enemy, Lewis responds, "Enemy schmenemy. This was a family."

Well, probably, as what the book title stated "Have a little Faith", just a little...not much.

Some questions and quotes:

What makes a man happy? happiness

Self indictment is worse than an unanswered prayer?

Why do bad things happen to good people? no one knows

What do people fear most about death? Being forgotten.

It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody's out there.

When a baby comes into the world,its hands are clenched...bacause a baby, not knowing any better, wants to grab everything to say "The whole world is mine."
But when an old person dies,....With his hands open....Because he has learned his lesson...."We can take nothing with us."

Two Nickels and Five Pennies - 小费

 

Two Nickels and Five Pennies

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?"

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.
Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.

The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

小费

一个十岁的男孩走进冷饮店坐下。女侍者手拿托盘来道他面前，男孩问她：“一只双色冰淇淋多少钱？”女侍者答：“五角。”

男孩从口袋里掏出一把硬币，放在桌子上一枚一枚地数着，接着又问：“一只普通的冰淇淋呢？”

女侍者这时显得不耐烦了，说道：“三角五分。”

男孩又数了一遍硬币，才说：“给我三角五分的冰淇淋。”

男孩津津有味地吃完冰淇淋才离开，当女侍者回来收拾桌子时，她一下子怔住了：在空盘子旁边，整齐地叠放着三个五分硬币--那是她的小费。

 

A True Promise - 光头的诺言

 

A True Promise

"How long will you be pouring over that newspaper? Will you come here right away and make your darling daughter eat her food?"

I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only Daughter Sindu looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes.  In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice.

Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has Just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox and believe firmly in the cooling effects' of Curd Rice. I cleared my throat and picked up the bowl.

"Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear. If you don't, your Mom will shout at me."

I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back. Sindu softened a bit and wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "OK, Dad. I will eat not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this. But, you should..." Sindu hesitated. "Dad, if I eat this entire Curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?" "Oh sure, darling."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine

And clinched the deal.

"Ask Mom also to give a similar promise," my daughter insisted. My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's muttering "Promise," Without any emotion.

Now I became a bit anxious. "Sindu, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?"

"No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive."

Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my Child to eat something that she detested.

After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All of our attention was on her.

"Dad, I want to have my head shaved off this Sunday," Was her demand!

"Atrocious!" shouted my wife, "a girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!"

"Never in our family!" my mother rasped. "She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these stupid TV programs!"

"Sindu, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head."

"No, Dad. I do not want anything else," Sindu said with finality.

"Please Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?" I tried to plead with her.

"Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice," Sindu was in tears. "And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?"

It was time for me to call the shots. "Our promise must be kept."

"Are you out your mind?" chorused my mother and wife.

"No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled."

With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes Looked big and beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight To watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved.

I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, "Sinduja, please wait for me!"

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. "Maybe that is the "in" stuff," I thought.

"Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!" Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued, "That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from leukemia."

She paused to muffle her sobs. "Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all of his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.

"Sinduja visited him last week and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue. But I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter."

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.


光头的诺言

“你还要在那份报纸上耗多久？能不能赶紧过来，叫你的宝贝女儿吃饭？”

我把报纸扔到一边，急忙奔过去。我的独生女辛杜看死受了惊吓，眼里涌满了泪水。在她前面摆着满满一碗酸乳酪饭。

辛杜是个好孩子，在同龄孩子中算是非常聪明的。辛杜刚满８岁。她特别讨厌酸乳捞饭。母亲和妻子都是墨守成规的人，对酸乳酪饭的“消暑功能”笃信不疑。

我清了清喉咙，端起饭碗。

“辛杜，宝贝，就吃几小口好不好？就算看在爸爸的份儿上，亲爱的。你要是不吃，你妈妈又要冲我喊叫了。”

我都能感到妻子正在我背后怒目而视。辛杜态度稍稍缓和了些，她用手背揩去泪水。“好吧，爸爸。不知吃几小口，我要把这碗饭都吃下去。不过，你记得……”辛杜停顿了一下，“爸爸，要是我把这碗酸乳酪饭全吃下去，不管我要什么，你都能给我吗？”“哦，当然，宝贝。”

“你能保证吗？”

“我保证。”

我把手扣在女儿伸出的粉嫩小手上，协议达成了。

“叫妈妈也这样保证，”女儿坚持道。妻子面无表情地拍了一下辛杜的手，低声咕哝了一句：“我保证。”

此刻我有些担心了。“辛杜，你不能缠着要电脑之类的贵东西。爸爸现在没那么多钱。好吗？”

“不会的，爸爸。我什么贵的东西也不要。”

辛杜缓慢而痛苦的吃完了那一整碗饭。

我暗暗生妻子和母亲的气，气她们逼着孩子吃她厌恶的东西。

痛苦的煎熬终于结束了，辛杜走到我身边，睁大了眼睛，目光中满是期待。全家人都定睛在她身上。

“爸爸，我想这个星期天把头发剃光。”这就是她的要求！

“太不像话了！”妻子喊道，“一个小姑娘剃光头？休想！”

“在我们家绝对不行！”母亲粗声说，“她是电视看得太多了。我们的文化被这些电视节目彻底毁了！”

“辛杜，不能要别的吗？看你剃成光头，我们都会很难过的。”

“不，爸爸。别的我什么都不要。”辛杜斩钉截铁地说。

“辛杜，你难道不能想象我们的感受吗？”我试着劝她。

“爸爸，我吃下了那晚酸乳酪饭有多费劲，你都看到了。”辛杜流着眼泪，“你想我保证过，不管我要什么，你都会给我的。现在，你说过的话却不算数了。哈里什昌德拉国王的故事，不是你给我讲的吗？你不是说这个故事教我们不管怎样都要遵守诺言吗？”

轮到我拍板定论了。“我们的诺言必须遵守。”

“你疯了吗？”母亲和妻子异口同声地喊道。

“不。假如我们食言，她永远都学不会遵守自己的诺言。辛杜，你的愿望会满足的。”

剃光了头发的辛杜显露出圆圆的脸庞，双眼开上去大而美丽。

星期一的早晨，我送她去上学校。目送剃成光头的女儿走向教室，这景象多少有些滑稽。她转过身朝我挥挥手。

我微笑着，也朝她挥了挥手。就在这时，一个男孩从一辆车上下来，喊着：“辛杜，等等我！”

看到男孩光秃秃的脑袋，我心中一怔。“大概现在‘流行’这个吧！”我想。

“先生，您的女儿辛杜真了不起！”一位女士走下车，没作自我介绍，就继续说道，“那个跟您女儿走在一起的男孩是我的儿子哈里希。他得了白血病。”

她顿了顿，压抑着自己的哽咽。“哈里希上月一整月没能来上学。他因为化疗，头发全掉光了。他怕遭到同学们无心却残酷的嘲弄，所以不肯回学校。上周辛杜来看他了，还向他保证，她会摆平大家的嘲弄。可我怎么也没想到，她会为了我的儿子牺牲自己漂亮的长发！先生，您和妻子能有这么一个心灵高尚的女儿，真是有福啊。”

我呆呆地站在那里，不禁流下了眼泪。

Remember My Birthday ?

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday.

Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration. 

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation.

The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .. and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.

Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" as if the party were in his honor!

At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me.

Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party.  I'm still making the final arrangements..

Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.

I'll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year...

See you soon. I Love you!

Jesus

I Almost Sold Your Son for a Quarter !

 

 

 

I Almost Sold Your Son for a Quarter !

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.'

 

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.

The Will of God
Will Never Take You to Where
The Grace of God
Will Not PROTECT You !

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL!

God Bless You...

Wooden Bowl - 木碗

 

Wooden Bowl

 

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

 

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather", said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

 

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

 

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

 

He asked the child sweetly, "what are you making? "

 

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh,, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food when I grow up. "

 

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

 

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

 

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future. Let's be wise builders and role models.

On a positive note, I've learned that :

 

• no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
• you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
• regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
• making a living; is not the same thing as making a life.
• life sometimes gives you a second chance.
• you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
• if you pursue happiness, it will elude you.  But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
• whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
• even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
• every day, you should reach out and touch someone.  People love that human touch--holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on  the back.
• I still have a lot to learn.

木碗

这是一个会深深的印在您脑海中，长久记在您心中的故事。

一位在风烛残年的老人，与他的儿子，媳妇，及四岁的孙儿同住。老人的视力以经模糊昏花，双手不能控制的经常颤抖，脚步也是踉跄不稳。当全家一起用餐时，颤抖的手及衰退的视力造成老人用餐的困难。豆子会从汤匙里掉落，当他想握住杯子，牛奶会从杯子里晃出来，而把桌巾弄湿了。

 

儿子和媳妇对老人越来越没有耐心了，儿子说：“我们需要想个方法，我受够了他在饭桌上，打翻牛奶杯，食物掉到桌子下，吃饭时发出的响声。”

 

所以，两夫妻在餐厅的一个角落放了一个小桌子，从此，当全家享受晚餐的时候，老祖父单独的一人在角落里吃饭。因为老祖父曾经把碗盘打破，他的餐盘也改成木头做的碗钵了。偶而，不经意的眼光瞟向老人时，会看见他双眼含着泪，孤独的坐在角落里。但是两夫妇还是经常用着很尖锐的言词批评他把叉子或食物掉落桌下。

 

这一切，都看在四岁的小孙儿的眼中。

 

一天傍晚，在饭前，做父亲的看见小儿子坐在地上，玩耍般的磨着一块木头。

 

他和颜悦色并且好奇的问着：“你在做什么东西呀？”

 

孩子也同样愉悦的回答说：“我想做一个小木碗给你和妈妈，等我长大了，你们可以用这个碗来吃饭了！”四岁的孩儿，笑着说完了，又继续再磨着木头。

 

这句回答，使得这对夫妇哑口无言，沉默了许久，只见两行泪水默默的流下。 两个人都知道该如何去做了。

 

当晚，做儿子的牵着老父亲的手，温柔的把老人安置在家庭的餐桌上。在老人的余年，他每天都和儿孙一起用餐。再也没有人会因为他把食物打翻，或是弄脏了桌巾，去在意而责骂他了。

 

孩子们的感觉是敏锐的。他们的眼睛会观察，他们的耳朵会聆听，他们的头脑会思考所有吸收进来的讯息。当他们看到我们营造的是一个快乐的家庭，我们是用温柔，和善，忍耐来对待家人，他们以后的一生都会用相同的态度来对待每一个人。

 

聪明的父母会了解到，他们每天的一举一动，都是他们子女未来，行为走向的基石。让我们互相勉励，为了我们所爱的，好好的照顾自己，作一个有智慧的建筑师，良善的榜样，从现在开始。

 

我学习到:

• 孩子眼睛观察的比听到的多得多，我们所设立的榜样，也会决定他们未来行为的方向。
• 无论你和父母的关系如何，当他们离开你的生命后，你都会想念他们的。
• 生存不等于生活。
• 不要用两只手紧紧抓住生命中的每一件东西，我们需要学习放手，分享。
• 当你追寻快乐时，它反而会逃避你。但是，当你的心思，意念，是集中在家庭，朋友，别人的需要，你的工作，尽力作好你的本分时，快乐便会寻找到你。
• 当我用一颗开放的心去作决定时，我作的选择往往是正确的。
• 当我在痛苦当中时，我不需要成为造成痛苦的原因。
• 别人会忘记你曾说的话，别人会忘记你曾作的事，但是别人永远不会忘记你带给他们的感受。
• 生命的意义，是如何在别人的生命中，造成正面的影响。
• 我需要学习的永远不会终止。 

 

The Pastor's Cat - 神父的猫咪

 

The Pastor's Cat

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

He did! All the while, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air-out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.

So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"

She replied, "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it."

She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her."

Never underestimate the Power of God and His unique sense of humor.
 

神父的猫咪

这位神父养了一只猫咪，有一天这只小猫咪爬上神父家后院的树上，神父很担心小猫会从树上摔下来，神父拜托小猫咪爬下树来，或是拿温热的牛奶引诱牠下来等等。用尽了方法，猫咪就是不肯从树上下来，因此神父决定试着用一条粗绳系在他车子上，另一端系在树枝上，然后发动车子往前开，树就会被弯曲，神父就可以把小猫抱下来，神父按照计划进行所有的步骤，神父下车检查一切是否都如预期。他想到，假如再开远一点点，那么树就可以低到足够让神父抓到小猫，但是当他这样做的时侯，绳子断了，当然，那棵树马上”碰”的一声弹回原位，小猫咪像箭一般射向天际，一下子就消失不见踪影。

神父的情绪蹧透了，他问遍了所有的邻居，希望有人看到小猫咪，答案就是没有人知道猫咪飞到哪里去，神父只有向天主祈祷，”天主，请看顾这只小猫咪”，然后开始专注于教区的工作。

几天后，神父去杂货店的时候，遇到一位教友，凑巧看见了这位教友的手推车里，居然有猫食，神父很讶异，因为神父知道这位教友非常厌恶猫咪。神父问她说:”妳很讨厌猫咪，为什么妳还要买猫食呢”﹖她回答说”你不会相信发生这种事的”，她说:”她的小女儿求她准许养一只猫咪，我总是说不行，但是几天之前，小女儿又来求我，我告诉我女儿，”好吧，假如天主送妳一只小猫咪的话，我就让妳养牠”。

话刚说完，我看着我的小女儿走到院子，跪在地上，祈求天主送自己一只猫咪，真的，你不会相信，但是我亲眼看到的，突然从天上飞来一只猫咪，身手利落，不偏不倚的就落在她的正前方。

这是一种巧合，还是天主的有意安排！

The Empty Bird Cage - 空的鸟笼 （爱的赎价）

 

 

The Empty Bird Cage

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town.

One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old birdcage, and set it by the pulpit.

Several eyebrows were raised; and as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.

"Take them home and have fun with them," he answered. "I'm gonna tease them and pull out their feathers to make them fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take them to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want the birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation.

Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!!

You don't want those people!!"

"How much?" He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

空的鸟笼（爱的赎价）

在新英格兰的一个小镇上，有一位名叫乔治·托马斯的牧师。

复活节的早晨，托马斯牧师到教堂去主持礼拜的时候，手里提着一个破旧的、锈迹班驳的鸟笼。他走上圣坛，把鸟笼放在讲台上，教堂里的弟兄姊妹们都愕然了。这时，托马斯牧师缓缓开口讲了他昨天的经历。
 
昨天他穿过镇子的时候，迎面碰上个小男孩，手中就晃荡着这个鸟笼。几只小鸟瑟缩在笼子里，寒冷和恐惧使它们全身都在颤抖。
 
他拦住那个男孩问道：“孩子，你手里拿的是什么呀？”
 
“只不过是几只上了年纪的野鸟。”男孩回答说。

“那你要把它们怎么样呢？”牧师又问。

“带回家去找点乐子。”他说，“我要好好折腾它们，把它们弄得筋疲力尽，再一根根地拔掉它们的羽毛。我想这一定挺有意思。”

“但你迟早会玩儿厌了的，那时你又要怎么处理这些小鸟呢？”

“啊，我养了几只猫。”男孩子怪笑着说，“它们可喜欢小鸟了。”

托马斯牧师沉默片刻，忽然说道：“我想买下这些小鸟，你开个价吧，孩子。”

“什么？”男孩子简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，“得了吧，牧师，您不会喜欢这些鸟的，它们只是些普普通通的野鸟，又老又笨又难看，叫声也不好听。”

“开个价吧。”牧师又重复了一遍。

男孩子怀疑地打量着牧师，似乎在琢磨着他是不是疯了，“10美元，怎么样？”

牧师立刻从衣袋里掏出一张10美元的钞票递给他，男孩子扔下鸟笼兴冲冲地跑了。牧师小心翼翼地提起笼子，向街心公园走去――那里有一棵大树，树下是绿茵茵的草坪。

他把鸟笼放在草坪上，打开笼门，轻轻地拍着栅栏，柔声哄出笼中的小鸟，把它们放飞了。

这就是鸟笼的由来。

然后，托马斯牧师又讲了另一个故事︰

有一天，耶稣踫上了刚刚从伊甸园回来的撒但。那魔鬼手中拎着一个以罪和死为栅栏的笼子，幸灾乐祸地狂笑道︰“看哪，我把全世界的人都抓进这个笼子了！这些人都经不起我的试探和引诱，统统掉进了陷阱！整个儿世界的人都掉进去了！”

“那你要把他们怎么样呢？”耶稣问道。

“拿他们找点乐子啊！我要教他们怎样玩弄感情、背信弃义，怎样纵情声色、沉沦堕落，怎样彼此诋毁侮辱，怎样相互仇恨；我还要教他们如何制造和发明各种致命的武器，训练他们互相残杀这该多有意思啊！”

“然后呢？”耶稣又问。

“啊哈！”撒但狂傲地瞥了他一眼，“然后就把他们都杀掉！”

“我要买下这些人，你开个价吧。”耶稣平静地说。

“得了吧！你不会喜欢这些人的，他们都坏透了，简直是十恶不赦，而且全都忘恩负义，你救他们，得到的报答只会是他们的仇恨！他们会对您你施尽凌辱唾骂，还会把你钉死在十字架上的！没有谁会愿意救赎这样的罪人！”撒但嘲笑道。

“开个价吧。”耶稣仍旧平静地重复道。

撒但的脸上露出阴森森的冷笑︰“他们的赎价就是你的鲜血、眼泪和你的全部生命，怎么样？”

“成交吧。”耶稣无惧地回答。

然后，就付出了这赎价这爱的赎价，付出了他的鲜血、眼泪和的全部生命。

托马斯牧师讲完这个故事，没有再说什么。他提起那个鸟笼，默默地走下了圣坛。
 

Penny

 

 

Penny

Happened to get this article and would like to share with my friends. After reading this story, I remember I still have some coins left over from my previous US trip,, so I quickly dig them out and take a good look at each of them.. One Cent coin, Quarter Dollar coin, and yes, I get the message...and hope you too get the message...


I pick them up all the time but never thought of it as this....... You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Laurie, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Laurie was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants.

Laurie knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Laurie and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts..

Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said.
"Read what it says."
She read the words "United States of America."
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?"
"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. "

It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by?

"When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust is in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk.

I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change.

I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh.

Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!

And, God is patient...Have a blessed day!

We Are Never Alone

We Are Never Alone

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone.

Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.

When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him...

The Miracle of a Brother's Song - 爱的奇迹

The Miracle of a Brother's Song

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his s sister in Mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?

Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.

The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him se his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care.

Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed."

The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. He is not leaving until he sings to his sister" she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.

He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began tossing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey." Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

"Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away. "As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "Keep on singing, sweetheart."

"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms". Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep singing, Michael." Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away..."

The next, day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home. Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

爱的奇迹
凯伦发现自己又怀上了一个女孩。像其他妈妈一样，凯伦告诉了刚满三岁的儿子迈克尔，教他如何面对即将诞生的小宝宝此后，小迈克尔只要一有空，就会轻轻趴在妈妈的肚皮上，向即将出生的小妹妹温柔地唱着他喜欢的歌儿。这样，迈克尔和小妹妹虽然还没见过面，但彼此间已经建立起了独特的亲密联系。

这一天产期终于来临，经过痛苦分娩，婴儿终于诞生了。但是，这个新生小女孩却病得厉害。当晚，在救护车的尖叫声中，她被送到了圣玛丽医院的监护病房进行急救。

随后几天，小女孩的情况越来越恶化，医院的儿科医生不得不告诉凯伦夫妇，小女孩生存下来的概率微乎其微。凯伦夫妇非常伤心，原本他们已经安排好了一个温馨的婴儿房，但现在却发现，他们要安排的是女儿的葬礼！可是，小迈克尔并不了解这些情况，他还是天天缠着父母，不断地说：“我的小妹妹呢？我要唱歌给她听！”

小女孩诞生后的第二周，医生通知凯伦夫妇，葬礼可能在圣诞节以前举行。迈克尔依然像过去几天一样，不断缠着父母，要求唱歌给妹妹听。虽然监护病房禁止儿童进入，但凯伦还是决定带迈克尔进去一次，因为她知道，如果现在不去，迈克尔以后就永远看不到他的小妹妹了。

凯伦给迈克尔穿上了一套消毒护理服，偷偷地带他进入了监护病房。穿着过分臃肿衣服的小迈克尔看起来就像一个会走路的古怪洗衣篮，护士长一眼就看到了这个擅闯禁区的小孩，勃然大怒，低声吼道：“孩子出去！”

护士长的无礼反倒激起了凯伦的护犊之情，这位平时温柔有礼的母亲狠狠地瞪着护士长，嘴唇绷紧，咬着牙根一字一字地说：“我的孩子不会走，除非他唱歌给他妹妹听！”不顾护士长惊异的表情，凯伦把迈克尔拉到了他妹妹的小床旁。

小迈克尔温柔地望着那个生命正在一点一滴消失的小婴孩。过了好一会儿，他开始唱歌，用一个三岁孩子纯洁的心灵，他唱道：“你是我的阳光，我唯一的阳光……”小婴儿好像产生了反应，仪器上显示，她的心跳开始稳定下来了。

“继续唱，迈克尔。”凯伦很惊奇，她颤抖地说。小迈克尔继续唱下去：“你从不知道，亲爱的，我是多么地爱你。因此，请不要把我的阳光带走。”

只要迈克尔一唱歌，小婴儿原本杂乱无序的呼吸就会变得和小猫呜咽一样平稳柔和。“那天晚上，亲爱的，当我甜蜜入睡，我梦到我紧紧拥抱着你……”小婴儿开始放松，进入一种治疗的休眠状态，病魔的阴影似乎从她的小脸上开始消退。

泪水也涌入了护士长的眼眶，凯伦多日以来苍白的脸开始泛出了红光。“你是我的阳光，我唯一的阳光，请不要把我的阳光带走……”

一天又一天，一夜又一夜……歌声中，小女孩竟然慢慢康复。一个星期后，她终于逃脱了死神阴影的笼罩，回到了家中，回到了父母的怀抱里，成为她的哥哥迈克尔“不能带走的阳光”。

圣玛丽医院的医生把这件事当做一个“奇迹”。
而凯伦说，这是“爱的奇迹”。

The Color of Friendship - 友谊的颜色

The Colour of Friendship

Once upon a time the colours of the world started to quarrel.
All claimed that they were the best.
The most important.
The most useful.
The favourite.

Green said:
"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

Blue interrupted:
"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

Yellow chuckled:
"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."

Orange started next to blow her trumpet:
"I am the colour of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."

Red could stand it no longer he shouted out:
"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the colour of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the colour of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."

Purple rose up to his full height:
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the colour of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."

Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination:
"Think of me. I am the colour of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colours went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarrelling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colours crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamour, rain began to speak:
"You foolish colours, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colours united and joined hands.

The rain continued:
"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of colour as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.


友谊的颜色
 
从前，世界上的各种颜色进行过一次争吵。

每一种颜色都说自己是最好的，
　最重要的，
　最有用的，
　和最讨人喜欢的。

绿色说：
“显然，我是最重要的。我是生命和希望的标志。我被选作青草，树木以及叶子的颜色。没有了我，所有的动物都会死去。展望田野吧，你会看到，到处都有我。”

蓝色打断了它的话：
“你只考虑了地上，想想天空和海洋吧。水才是生命的基础呀，云彩把水分从深邃的大海带到了天空。天空给了人们空间、和平和宁谧。没有我的和平，你们将不复存在。”

黄色咯咯地笑出了声：
“你们都太严肃了。我给这个世界带来了笑声、欢乐和温暖。太阳是黄色的，月亮是黄色的，星星是黄色的，每一次你看向日葵的时候，整个世界都开始欢笑。没有我就没有快乐。”

橙色马上开始自吹自擂： 
“我可是健康和力量的颜色。我可能比较稀少，但是我非常宝贵，因为我满足了人们生活的需要。我携带了大多数重要的维他命。想想胡罗卜、南瓜、柑橘、芒果和番木瓜。我并不经常出没在天空，但日出或日落我在天际登场时，我的美丽足以惊世，没有人还会想起你们。”

红色再也忍不下去了，他喊道：
“我，是你们所有人的主宰。我是血液——生命的血液！我是危险和勇敢的颜色。我愿意为了一个目标而斗争。我把烈火带入血液。没有了我，地球会象月亮一样变得空虚。我是激情和爱的颜色，是红玫瑰、猩猩木和罂粟。

紫色站起身来：
他非常高，说起话来风度十足：“我是王权和力量的象征。国王、酋长、主教都选择了我，因为我象征着权威和智慧。人们不会对我提出疑问，他们只能聆听和服从。”

最后，靛青说话了，他的声音比其他人都轻，但却比其他人都斩钉截铁：
“想想我吧。我是沉默的颜色。你们几乎注意不到我，但是如果没有我，你们全都会变得肤浅。我代表着思想和反省，代表者黎明的微光和深邃的海水。你们需要我来平衡和比较，来祈祷和获求内心的安宁。”

这样一来，颜色们就不停地自夸，每个人都深信自己无比优越。他们的争吵声越来越大。突然，电闪雷鸣。雨无情地倾盆而下。颜色们惊恐地蜷缩起来，彼此挤在一起捱过着恐怖的时刻。

在一片喧嚣声中，雨开始说话了：
“你们这些愚蠢的颜色，彼此相互争斗，每个人都想支配别人。你们难道就不知道每个人都是天造地设，都是独一无二，彼此不同的吗？携起手来吧。”

颜色们按照着雨的话，团结在一起，携起手来。

雨接着说：
“从现在开始，每次下雨的时候你们都要变成一个巨大的彩色弓形横跨天空，以证明你们能够和平相处。

彩虹就是未来希望的标志。”所以，每当大雨冲刷这个世界时，彩虹都会出现在天空，让我们记住彼此要珍惜。