No Greater Love....

There is an old saying that goes…”No greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend.” Many of us would go out of our way to help a friend or family member, but how many of us would give up our life for a person that we love? The following is a true story that will show us an example of “no greater love”…..

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease.
 only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek.

Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I die right away, or how soon?” The boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he would have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

WOW!!……Beautiful.

- Photo credit: Wikipedia

The Power of Love and Anger

The Power of Love and Anger

While a man was polishing his car, his 4 year old son picked up a rock and started to scratch lines onto the sides of his car. In anger, the man took the child’s hand and began hitting it several times; not realizing he was using a wrench.

At the hospital, the child lost all of his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father…with painful eyes he asked, “Dad, when will my fingers grow back?” The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and started to kick it several times.

Devastated by his own actions…sitting in front of his car he looked at the scratches…his son had written. His son had scratched the words “I LOVE YOU DAD.” The next day the man committed suicide.

Anger and Love have no limits and are both very powerful emotions. Here are several things that we should always remember…

THINGS are to be USED and PEOPLE are to be LOVED, but the problem in today’s world is that PEOPLE are USED and THINGS are LOVED.  

Let’s be careful to keep this thought in mind; THINGS are to be USED, but PEOPLE need to be LOVED.

Do you LOVE THINGS more and USE PEOPLE or do you LOVE PEOPLE more and USE THINGS?

Watch your THOUGHTS; they become WORDS.

Watch your WORDS; they become ACTIONS.

Watch your ACTIONS they become HABITS.

Watch your HABITS; they become your CHARACTER.

Watch your CHARACTER; it becomes your DESTINY.

-------------------------------

Author: Unknown

Photo Credit: DVS1mn

Source: booksie.com

-------------------------------

Note: In addition to writing my own blogs or stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring, motivating, or encouraging material from around the Web and other people. If you see an article, story, or photo that you have written or created and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I try to give credit to the people and/or web sites where I find my information when I can.

A Christmas Story of Giving: The Gold Slippers

rachelriley.com

A Christmas Story of Giving: The Gold Slippers
~ Author Unknown ~
It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season hadn't yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking lot of our local discount store. Inside the store, it was worse. Shopping carts and last minute shoppers jammed the aisles. Why did I come today? I wondered. My feet ached almost as much as my head. My list contained names of several people who claimed they wanted nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt if I didn't buy them anything. Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost of items, I considered gift-buying anything but fun.

Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last minute items and proceeded to the long checkout lines. I picked the shortest but it looked as if it would mean at least a 20 minute wait. In front of me were two small children -- a boy of about 5 and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat. Enormously large, tattered tennis shoes jutted far out in front of his much too short jeans. He clutched several crumpled dollar bills in his grimy hands. The girl's clothing resembled her brother's. Her head was a matted mass of curly hair. Reminders of an evening meal showed on her small face. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers.

As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo system, the girl hummed along, off-key but happily. When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a treasure.

The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said.
The boy laid his crumpled dollars on top of the stand while he searched his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12. "I guess we will have to put them back, " he bravely said. "We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow."

With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. "But Jesus would have loved these shoes, “she cried.

"Well, we'll go home and work some more. Don't cry. We'll come back," he said.

Quickly I handed $3.00 to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time. And, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said, "Thank you lady."

"What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?" I asked.

The boy answered, "Our mommy is sick and going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus."

The girl spoke, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't mommy be beautiful walking on those streets to match these shoes?"

My eyes flooded as I looked into her tear streaked face. "Yes" I answered, "I am sure she will."

Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of the true spirit of giving.

------------------------------------

Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.

A Box of Kisses

This is a re-post of a story that I posted few months ago. It is a story that will touch your heart and hopefully, help you to understand why sometimes, when we jump to the wrong conclusions, it can effect you more than you'll ever know.

A Box of Kisses: A Story of Jumping to Conclusions

~ Author Unknown ~

Posted By IndianChild.com

Photo Found at 123rf.com

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.

We need to remember that while our words can help uplift and soothe a person's soul....they can also be hurtful. We need to be careful of "jumping to conclusions" and saying things that may hurt someone before knowing an entire situation. 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.

---------------------

Have any stories or interesting tidbits? Email me richmullercoach@gmail.com

If you are receiving this story through your email and want to read more stories on my blog, please go to my blog site  -  http://soup-heart.blogspot.com

Have any comments? Please leave them in the “comment” area below

Live. Laugh. Love
----------------------------

Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.

A Box of Kisses: A Story of Jumping to Conclusions

This is a story that will touch your heart and hopefully, help you to understand why sometimes, when we jump to the wrong conclusions, it can effect you more than you'll ever know.

A Box of Kisses: A Story of Jumping to Conclusions

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.

We need to remember that while our words can help uplift and soothe a person's soul....they can also be hurtful. We need to be careful of "jumping to conclusions" and saying things that may hurt someone before knowing an entire situation. 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.

----------------------------

Author: Unknown
Photo Credit: 123rf.com
Source: Indianchild.com

---------------------------------

Live. Laugh. Love
----------------------------

Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.