AN INCREDIBLE LOVE STORY

This is an incredible love story that has managed to touch the world.

It is a story of a man and an older woman who ran off to live and love each other in peace for over half a century.

The 70-year-old Chinese man who hand-carved over 6,000 stairs up a mountain for his 80-year-old wife has passed away in the cave which has been the couple's home for the last 50 years.

Over 50 years ago, Liu Guojiang a 19 year-old boy, fell in love with a 29 year-old widowed mother named Xu Chaoqin.

In a twist worthy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, friends and relatives criticized the relationship because of the age difference and the fact that Xu already had children.

At that time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to love an older woman.

To avoid the market gossip and the scorn of their communities, the couple decided to elope and lived in a cave in Jiangjin County in Southern ChongQing Municipality.

In the beginning, life was harsh as they had nothing, no electricity or even food. They had to eat grass and roots they found in the mountain, and Liu made a kerosene lamp that they used to light up their lives.

Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him, 'Are you regretful?’ Liu always replied, 'As long as we are industrious, life will improve.'

In the second year of living in the mountain, Liu began and continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps so that his wife could get down the mountain easily.

Half a century later in 2001, a group of adventurers were exploring the forest and were surprised to find the elderly couple and the over 6,000 hand-carved steps. Liu MingSheng, one of their seven children said, 'My parents loved each other so much, they have lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single day. He hand carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my mother's convenience, although she doesn't go down the mountain that much.'

The couple had lived in peace for over 50 years until last week. Liu, now 72 years, returned from his daily farm work and collapsed. Xu sat and prayed with her husband as he passed away in her arms. So in love with Xu, was Liu, that no one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even after he had passed away.

'You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live without you?'

Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Hope is a waking dream. With love everything is possible.

Courtesy:  www.relaxinghub.com

THE GIFT OF INSULTS

There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.

One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.

Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. “How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?”

“If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it,” the master replied, “to whom does the gift belong?”

THE FOOL & THE SCHOLAR

There was once a great scholar who taught people how to deal with rudeness.

One day as the scholar was walking through a village, a very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. “You have no right to teach others,” he shouted. “You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake.”

The expletives hurled at the scholar did not upset him. Instead he asked the young man, “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belongs?”

The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The scholar smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.”

“If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy.”

AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.

"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?

"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.

"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."

"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"

The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money.

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"

Share some time with those who need you. They need our time more then we will ever know.

THE HUNGRY SOLDIERS

Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat.

The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. 'Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: 'the secret of how to make soup from stones.'

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. 'Now this will be a fine soup', said the second soldier; 'but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!'

Up jumped a villager, crying 'What luck! I've just remembered where some has been left!' And off she ran, returning with an apron full of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot, and a cask of wine was rolled into the square as all sat down to feast.

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. 'You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones', said an elder, 'and we shall never forget.' The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said, 'There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast.'

And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

THE PESSIMIST & THE OPTIMIST

A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.

Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.

That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly.

"Why are you crying?" the father asked.

"Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimist twin.

Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.

To which his optimist twin replied, "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

THE BLIND GIRL

This is a tragic story, most unlikely to be true. However, it has much to teach us if we are willing to learn from it!

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, ‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’ The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying : Take good care of my eyes, dear. I’ll always love you.

 This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life is a Gift.

Today before you say an unkind word – Think of someone who can’t speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food – Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife – Think of someone who’s crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life – Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job – Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down – Put a smile on your face and think: you’re alive and still around.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" || Colossians 3:15 || Huithiang! ||

FIRST WORLD CUP SURVIVING PLAYER DIES

The last surviving player from the first World Cup final, Francisco Varallo, has died in Argentina at the age of 100 .

Varallo played in the final between Uruguay and Argentina in Uruguay capital Montevideo in 1930.

His team lost the match 4-2 to Uruguay.

Mr Varallo scored 194 goals for his club Boca Juniors, a team record that was only broken this year by the current striker, Martin Palermo.

His nickname was "Canoncito" (little canon) for his powerful shot.

In an interview with Fifa to mark his 100th birthday this year, Varallo said the loss to Uruguay in 1930 was his greatest disappointment.

"With all due respect for my teammates, we weren't gutsy enough," the former footballer said.

"How I cried that day. Even now when I look back it still makes me angry."

Varallo retired as a player due to injury at the age of 30 to work as a coach with Boca's lower division teams and with the club Gimnasia.

 SOURCE: BBC News

IVY BEAN: WORLD'S OLDEST TWITTER

by Alex Millson

Thousands of Twitter followers were in mourning July 28 after the world's oldest Tweeter died at the age of 104.

Ivy Bean, who passed away in her sleep July 27, had been unwell for a number of weeks and staff at the care home where she lived had posted Twitter updates about her condition.

The centenarian had clocked up an astonishing 56,300 followers on the social networking site, and another 5,000 on Facebook.

Mrs Bean, who sent her messages to the world from the care home where she lived in Bradford, counted Peter Andre as one of her celebrity fans.

The pop star was in daily contact with the care home after hearing Ivy was unwell. He spoke to the great-grandmother on the phone and sent flowers just a few days before her death.

On July 28 morning a series of posts, written by the manager of Ivy's care home, appeared on her Twitter account which read: 'Hello all of Ivy's Twitter friends. By now you will have heard about our dear friend. I cannot explain how we are all feeling here.

'Ivy passed away peacefully at 12.08 this morning.'

'I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you but it was a very difficult thing to do.'

Sarah Brown led tributes to Ivy with a Twitter message which read: 'Sad to hear the news of Ivy Bean's passing. A great spirit and sense of humour; highly respected senior Ambassador for Twitter.'

On July 27 care home staff revealed that Ivy was seriously ill, but had been 'sleeping like a baby'.

Manager of Hillside Manor, Pat Wright, said Ivy had a tumour that had not been detected.

Earlier in the week they revealed how Ivy had looked like she was on the road to recovery after being admitted to hospital on July 14, before she took a turn for the worst.

Tributes to the centenarian started to appear on the site, with John Prescott becoming one of the first to pay his respects.

He tweeted: 'So sad to hear Ivy Bean has died. An inspiration to tweeters young and old and proof you don't stop learning after 65! Rest in peace Ivy.'

During her high-profile Tweeting career Ivy was invited to No. 10 to meet then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after which she Tweeted that she had used the private toilet in Mr Brown's study.

She was also delighted to meet Peter Andre, who planted a kiss on her head, and counted DJ Chris Evans and Calum Best among her followers.

Ivy, a former mill worker, first hit the headlines as the oldest person to embrace technology when she joined Facebook at the age of 102, quickly clocking up several thousand followers and giving her celebrity status

When Ivy was born in 1905, the quickest method of communication was the telegram, and it was not until seven years later that the first national telephone work was established.

One of eight children, Ivy Asquith worked in a mill from the age of 14 and then married Harold Bean, a soldier in the Royal Army Service Corps. After the Second World War they worked in service for the Lord and Lady Guiness at Greens Norton Hall in Northampton.

Ivy retired at 73, a few years after her husband passed away, aged 75. She is living at Hillside Manor care home in Bradford which she moved to at the grand age of 101 after her last care home closed down.

Courtesy: www.dailymail.co.uk

THE BOAT BUILDER

A boat builder decided to retire to spend more time with his family. His employer said that he would be sad to see him go. One last request was before he went that he would build one last boat. The boat builder reluctantly agreed and rushed to complete a six birth cruiser to the luxury standard specified. The workmanship was poor and the finish was below standard.

On the day the boat builder was due to complete his work, his employer arrived. The employer handed the key to the boat builder saying “This is my gift to for!” The boat builder was shocked. He thought if I had to have known this was for me I would have built the boat perfectly. Now he was not sure if he even wanted this gift.

We do the same in life, we sometimes do not give ourselves, our families and our work the best effort and seem disappointed with our situation, when we realize we could have done it differently.

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

CHURCH MEMBER

There was a little old cleaning woman that went to the local church. When the invitation was given at the end of the service, she went forward wanting to become a member. The pastor listened as she told him how she had accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church.

The pastor thought to himself, "oh my, she is so unkempt, even smells a little, and her fingernails are not clean. She picks up garbage, cleans toilets - what would the members think of her." He told her that she needed to go home and pray about it and then decide.

The following week, here she came again. She told the pastor that she had prayed about it and still wanted to become baptized.

"I have passed this church for so long. It is so beautiful, and I truly want to be a member."

Again the pastor told her to go home and pray some more.

A few weeks later while out eating at the restaurant, the pastor saw the little old lady. He did not want her to think that he was ignoring her so he approached her and said, "I have not seen you for a while. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "I talked with Jesus, and he told me not to worry about becoming a member of your church."

"He did?" said the pastor.

"Oh, yes" she replied. "He said even He hasn't been able to get into your church yet, and He's been trying for years."

You can substitute the word "member" for "Pastor" in this parable and it hits even closer to home.

AN ANT STORY

Brenda was a young woman that wanted to learn to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death she went with a group and they faced this tremendous cliff of rock. Practically perpendicular. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear and she took a hold of the rope and she started up the face of that rock.

Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, whoever was holding the rope up at the top of the cliff made a mistake and snapped the rope against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. You know how tiny contact lenses are and how almost impossible to find.

Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with who knows how many hundreds of feet behind and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping that she would be able to find that contact lens. Here she was, very far from home.

Her sight was now blurry. She was very upset by the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near a place where she could get a new contact lens. And she prayed that the Lord would help her to find it. Well, her last hope was that perhaps when she got to the top of the cliff, one of the girls that was up there on the top might be able to find her contact lens in the corner of her eye.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye. There was no contact lens to be found. She sat down with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to come up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth". She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every single stone and leaf that's on those mountains and You know exactly where my contact lens is."

Finally, the time came when it was time to go down. They walked down the trail to the bottom. Just as they got there, there was a new party of rock climbers coming along. As one of them started up the face of the cliff, she shouted out, "Hey, you guys! anybody lose a contact lens?"

Well, that would be startling enough, wouldn't it? She had found the contact lens! But you know why she saw it? An ant was carrying that contact lens so that it was moving slowly across the face of the rock.

What does that tell you about the God of the universe? Is He in charge of the tiniest things? Do ants matter to Him? Of course they do. He made them. He designed them.

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him this incredible story, he drew a picture of that ant lugging that contact lens with the words "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."

If God is in charge of the ants, don't you think He cares about you and me? I guess Solomon was right. One could learn a valuable lesson from that ant - trust in God.

We could probably all say a little more often, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. Still, if you want me to, I'll carry it for You."

I'M HERE!

The Rogers are devout Christians who have built a strong family. The father has a special interest in the spiritual condition of each of his children and often would quiz them in order to know if they were sure of their salvation. Occasionally he would ask them to share in their own words about their relationship with Jesus Christ.

One day it was seven year old Jimmy’s turn to express how he knew he had eternal life. Jimmy told his version: “I think it will be something like this in Heaven. One day when we all get to go to Heaven, it will be time for the big angel to read from the big book the names of all the people who will be there. He will come to the Rogers family and say, ‘Daddy Rogers?’ and Daddy will say, ‘Here!’ Then the angel will call out, ‘Mommy Rogers?’ and Mommy will say ‘Here!’ Then the angel will come down to call out Susie Rogers and Mavis Rogers, and they will both say, ‘Here!’ “

He paused, took a big deep breath and continued. “And finally that big angel will read my name, Jimmy Rogers, and because I’m little and maybe he’ll miss me, I’ll jump and shout real loud, ‘Here!’ to make sure he knows I’m there.”

Just a few days later there was a tragic accident. A car struck down little Jimmy Rogers as he made his way to catch the school bus. He was rushed by ambulance to the hospital, and all the family was summoned. He was in critical condition.

The little family group gathered around the bed in which little Jimmy now lay with no movement, no consciousness and no hope for recovery. The doctors had done all that was in their power. Jimmy would probably be gone by morning.

The family prayed and waited. Late in the night the little boy seemed to be stirring a bit. They all moved closer. They saw his lips move; just one word was all he uttered before he passed from this life. But what a word of comfort and hope for a grieving family he was to leave behind. In the clear voice of a little boy, loud and clear enough so all could hear and understand, little Jimmy Rogers said the one word:

“Here!”

And then he was gone to another life beyond this world, where a big angel was reading the names of all those written there.

REAL TREASURES

The cheerful little girl was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

“Oh please, mommy. Can I have them? Please, mommy please?” Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading little girl’s upturned face. “A dollar ninety-five. That’s almost $2.00”

”If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday’s only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar from grandma.”

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, Kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”

“Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you.”

“Then give me your pearls.”

“Oh daddy, not my pearls. But you can have princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my very favorite.”
 “That’s okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, “Do you love me?”
“Daddy, you know I love you.”

“Then give me your pearls.”

“Oh daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper.”

“That’s okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you.” And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.’
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

“What is it Jenny, What’s the matter?”

Jenny didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy, and when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace.

With a quiver she finally said, “Here, daddy. This is for you.”

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s daddy reached out with one have to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting her us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.
Isn’t God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing… God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

DEEP SCARS

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida . A little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother in the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you and that you are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not - let you go.

BRIDGES

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said.

"Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?" "Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother.

Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - - an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore." 

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges to build."

ALL THINGS FOR THE GOOD

Sometimes, in the Christian life, God’s subtle intervention in our day-to-day can be much like a budding flower, slow to blossom, yet oh so worth the wait. Such were the related events of my life in the early eighties, events that would stir the complacency of my dormant Christianity and re-direct the course of my future.

Early in 1972, at the altar of a small church in my home town, I had confessed my sins and asked Jesus to be my Savior. Unfortunately, I failed to follow up that act of salvation by building on my relationship with Him. I was then gradually pulled back into worldly living, losing interest in spiritual matters and not giving Christ rightful lordship of my life.

Ten years later, Judy and I were just beginning our twentieth year together. Our marriage right out of high school had more than it’s share of rough edges. She had a hunger for other men, I was completely self-centered and we had five children, ranging in ages from 11 to 18, all of whom were emotionally and spiritually neglected. Our loveless marriage amazingly managed to barely sustain on the “life support” of mutual dependency, but with each passing day, we grew farther apart and increasingly distant from God.

One winter evening in ’82, while on duty as a city police officer, I experienced God’s touch on my life in a most unusual way, a way that was to have dramatic repercussions on the direction and events in days to come.

My working partner and I were dispatched out of the police station to a residence on Echo Drive to investigate a possible burglary to this home. When we arrived, we found the front door standing wide open, the interior lights off and the house empty. Although I had never been in this house before, during our routine search of it’s interior, I experienced an extraordinary and unique sense of familiarity with not only the home’s interior, but with it’s furnishings and photographs as well. I could almost hear a voice telling me that I “belonged” at this house, indeed an eerie feeling beyond the scope of my experience.

Two years later I found myself in the deepest pit of despair I could have ever imagined. My “high school” marriage was over, Judy had deserted me to live with another man. At thirty-eight, I found myself the sole custodial parent of three teenagers still at home. For my part, I felt emotionally crushed, heartbroken, abandoned and nearly suicidal.

I suppose it is at times like this when a line is drawn in the sand regarding spiritual direction. Following the desertion, I was faced with the crucial choice of becoming hateful toward God for my plight and turning away from Him, or drawing near to Him as a hurting child seeking consolation from his father. By God's grace and mercy I chose the latter.

Now, at last, in my brokenness and despair, I came to realize how much I needed God's comfort and guidance. Though my prayers were selfish at first, products of my own desperation and need,….they were prayers. Finally, I was talking to Him again.

Pleading for the return of my wife and restoration of the marriage,I begged Him to help me live again and to make me whole. Then, as days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I finally began to understand that Judy had freely chosen a new life with someone else and God wanted me to look to Him, and seek His direction for my future.

I drew closer to God through daily reading of His word. No longer did I view Him as just a critical observer of my life, but now welcomed Him as an active participant with me, one who loved me and tried to guide me away from sin and into His will. The loneliness however was still very real, and my heart continually cried out for God to bring a mate into my life, one I could trust with my love and share in my life. The difference this time was that I was leaving the selection and timing to God. I asked Him to open doors and make it clear to me when, and if, he was indeed directing me to that special someone.

As the leaves began to fall, I returned to work from a surgically related medical leave of absence and relocated my family in a smaller house closer to my job.

One day in late October, my eldest son (then twenty) brought me a clipping from our local newspaper. It was an advertisement calling for persons interested in starting up a "Parents Without Partners" organization to gather that evening at the local library. Though I resisted the idea of going, I reasoned that as a “single parent” I could use support and my children deserved any help available.

Later that same evening, I parked my police cruiser across the street from the library, prayed silently for God's leading and watched people entering for the meeting. I was very apprehensive about leaving the comfort of my cruiser and pessimistic that this meeting could possibly do much toward helping me get my life back on track. As I observed the people going into the building, I noted that they seemed awkward and uncertain. They appeared to be just as weak and lost as me,….the “blind leading the blind” (I thought), and I was beginning to view this as a misadventure in futility.

It was nearly time for the meeting to begin, and I was almost ready to drive away when "she" arrived. She was blonde, attractive and in her mid-thirties. She walked with poise and determination, held herself in a posture of self-confidence and was carrying writing supplies. She smiled at others entering for the meeting and showed no sign of hesitation or discomfort about being there. Indeed she was different. Her arrival seemed to be just the encouragement I needed from the Holy Spirit, to move past my own doubts and fears. I grabbed up the microphone and radioed to the dispatcher that I would be taking my supper break at the library.

During the meeting, I learned that the blonde woman's name was Debbie. She radiated a sense of purpose and organization that must have been visible to all the others as well, for they seemed to gravitate toward her. She was friendly, sensible and intelligent, and without a single objection or slightest hesitation, the others immediately moved to elect her to the office of president of this newly formed organization.

In the days following, I continued to be drawn into God's word, I listened for His voice and sought His direction. Judy completely refused to return home, or agree to any type of counseling, adamantly insisting that our marriage was over. Seeking God in this matter, he directed me to First Corinthians 7:15. It is there He taught me that though he indeed does "hate divorce" (Malachi 2:16), for what it does to individuals and the children of any marriage, because of poor human choices sometimes divorce becomes inevitable. He indicated that such was the case in my situation, Judy’s leaving was permanent and she would not be returning to our marriage. He brought to my memory and understanding situations from our marital history illustrating a deficiency of the essential elements of love, fidelity and spirituality that compose godly marriage, so that even in the unlikely event of her future return, that relationship would never meet the standards of what He intended real marriage to be. Rather, it would likely continue to be the very vehicle that would drive both of us further from Him, ultimately resulting in another desertion somewhere else down the line. This thought, along with an accumulation of many other concerns regarding finance and child welfare, freed me to sign a petition for divorce for cause of desertion (1 Corinthians 7:15b).

A few days later I was advised that somehow (through secretive and somewhat curious balloting) I had been elected into the position of vice-president in this newly formed Parents Without Partners organization. I was told I would be working closely with the organization’s President (Debbie) at meetings and planning sessions. It was a prospect that prompted a curious smile to my heart.

As we began meeting for club business, we soon discovered that we shared a love for the Lord and had both placed our lives in His hands. I learned she had divorced her first husband some six years earlier because of his repetitive adulteries, and she was raising her four young girls by herself. Strangely, it was her eldest daughter who brought her the same newspaper advertisement about the meeting at the library, and encouraged her to attend. What was even more startling, was the revelation that Debbie lived in that very same house on Echo Drive where just two years before I had experienced that strange sense of belonging and eerie familiarity. The pieces all seemed to be coming together.

Debbie was exactly the opposite of Judy, intense in her conviction regarding fidelity in relationships, having deep belief in prayer and a love for the teachings of the bible. She brought me through many moments of my post desertion depression by challenging me and encouraging me to be the man God was calling me to be. She taught me not to depend on any other human being to bring joy in my life, but to seek God first and know the joy only he could provide.

Over the next few months, we found ourselves often being brought together in many an unusual happenstance. Doors were being opened as chance meetings, long telephone conversations and like interests became increasingly commonplace. The more I spoke to her the more I began to realize, she was exactly the kind of woman God would have me seek in a lasting relationship. I could clearly see His mighty hand at work, bringing us together and bonding us both emotionally and spiritually. Needless to say I fell in love with Debbie for the godly woman she was.

The next summer, following finalization of my divorce, we were married. That was nineteen years ago now, and I am so thankful to God for His faithfulness to His word in Romans 8:28. For we both love God and are called for His purpose, so He is constantly faithful to work all things for our mutual good, even out of the heartbreak and mistakes of our individual pasts.

I am convinced that the “Echo Drive experience” of 1982 was God’s subtle way of assurance in preparation of my heartbreak two years later,and also the movement of His mighty hand in redirecting my life back into His will, setting my feet on the right path.

Today we continue to honor God in our marriage, as we live together in that same special house on Echo Drive. Debbie has founded a vibrant women's ministry and I know her love for me is second only to that for her wonderful Savior….Christ the Lord.

by Dennis Van Scoy

FINAL EXAMINATION

I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right before the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with us for just a little bit before the test. 

We went through the review, most of it right on the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't really argue with that.

Finally it was time to take the test. 

"Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you to start," our prof instructed. 

When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom of the last page said the following: "This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced...grace." 

He then went around the room and asked each student individually, "What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?" 

Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.
Discussion afterward went like this "I have tried to teach you all semester that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry if it is full of grace!" 

Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. 

Several different times during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning began complaining, the boss said, "Should you be angry because I am kind?" (Matthew 2015). 

The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace. 

Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have experienced?

A DESPERATE MAN

There was a man who had everything you could want, everything but happiness and hope. He had a good business and more money than he could count, houses all over the world, and owned an island in the South Pacific Ocean. He had a loving wife and four children, two boys and two girls. He was constantly putting on parties and all sorts of affairs trying to find what his younger brother already had. You see his younger brother had been ask to become a partner in the company several years earlier but turn it down because he was already a partner in something bigger. 

The younger brother did not own a fancy house instead he and his wife rented a small three-bedroom house in the country where they were raising their three children, one son and two daughters. The younger brother was happy with his life; he had everything he needed. You see the younger brother had found Jesus Christ and was living life the way God wanted him to. 

The older brother could not understand how his younger brother could possibly be content with the life he had chose, little or no money, always struggling to make ends meet. The older brother thought that money was the answer to all the troubles in this world; he thought that if you had enough money you could buy happiness. He was wrong the more he gained the more he wanted and happiness seemed to elude him at every turn. 

He began to search elsewhere in places like bars and nightclubs. He even started looking at other women thinking that maybe that is where I’ll find happiness but all that did was cost him more grief. The younger brother had tried for years to get his big brother to go to Church but he refused saying that there was nothing for him in a Church; to him Church meant giving his money to a bunch people that were to lazy to work. 

As time passed the older brother found out that he had cancer and was dying, the soaring medical cost was fast depleting his resources, and because of the turmoil he was going through he drove a wedge between himself and his wife and kids. Soon his wife told him she was leaving until he could get thing strait in his life. His company began to suffer large losses and he became more depressed. The younger brother tried again to get him in Church without any luck. A year went by with things getting worse every day and then the news the older brother dreaded most came; his money had ran out, his company was bankrupt and he had lost his island and all of the houses. 

Now broke, alone and desperate with nowhere to turn he went to his younger brother for help, he found out for the first time just how happy his brother really was. He was welcomed and his younger brother went out of his way to make him comfortable. He began to see God working in his brothers life, how he prayed twice a day and before every meal. And he noticed that his younger brother always prayed for him, and he also noticed how his health seemed to be getting better. When his younger brother left for Church one Sunday he found a Bible lying on the coffee table, he picked it up and began reading it. As he read in the New Testament about Jesus he could feel God touching his heart but he thought, "I am not worthy of God's love", yet he could not put down the Bible. 

When the younger brother and his family came in from Church they found him sitting on the couch holding the Bible crying. The younger brother went to his big brother and asks if he had found what he had been searching for, Christ. The answer was yes and he explained how God had touched him while he was reading. He told about the joy and sadness he felt, sadness that he had wasted so much time and joy that he had found Jesus. The younger ask him if he would come to Church with the family that night, he agreed. Once they got to Church that evening the older brother could not believe how much he felt the presents of God. It was hard for him to contain his emotions as God let the light into his life. At the end of the service even before the Pastor started the invitation he was on his way down the isle of the Church, almost in a run, he could wait no longer. When he had confessed his sins and accepted Jesus into his heart he made a promise to serve God. 

Two years later the younger brother still lives in the rented house and is now a deacon in the small Church where he saw his brother saved. The older brother is now a minister who travels around helping desperate men and women find what he had over looked for so many years. 

We need to live a life that makes people say I want what he or she has. A life that will make us proud to say I am a Christian and my Lord is Jesus Christ.