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.

HOW TO FORGIVE

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job.

His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him.
He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do - Teach me To Forgive."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt.

He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

"Have you ever told a lie?" He asked? The man answered - "yes, Lord."

"Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?" The man answered - " yes. Lord." And the man sobbed more and more.

"Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?" Jesus asked? And the man answered - "yes, Lord."

"Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? " The man, crying now, answered - "yes, Lord."

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - "yes, Lord."

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you."

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is. Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it. Lord I love You and I need You, come into my heart, today. For without You I can do nothing

DROWNING MEN

1 Cor 3:8 "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."

Walking through the forest, a seasoned hiker came upon a broad, slowly moving river. He stopped to gaze over the waters, appreciating the beauty, when suddenly he heard a faint cry coming from upstream.  Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw an obviously drowning man floundering in the river and drifting slowly toward him.

The hiker was stunned momentarily, but he sprang into action when he saw the man disappear beneath the waters. Throwing off all of his cumbersome gear, he dove into the river and swam like a madman toward the spot where the man went under.

Upon reaching the spot he plunged below the surface and frantically
hauled up the helpless man. He then laboriously towed the victim to shore.
Heaving the lifeless body up on the riverbank, the hiker attempted to revive
the man, who eventually spit up water and began to breathe.

Relieved, the hiker paused to catch his breath. But no sooner had he done so than he heard another voice out on the water. Another drowning person!

Once again he swam out and pulled the person to shore, a little more slowly this time. As the hiker-turned lifeguard revived the second victim, he heard yet another cry for help.

All day long the hiker worked, rescuing one person after another as they came drifting down the river. There seemed to be no end of drowning victims, and the hiker didn't think he could keep it up.
Just when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, he spotted another man walking rapidly beside the river, headed upstream. "Hey mister!" he cried out. "Please help me! These poor people are drowning!" Amazingly, the man kept walking upstream. The astonished hiker called out again. Without even acknowledging the cry, the man kept going. Indignant and angry, the hiker leapt to his feet, ran toward the seemingly uncompassionate man, stood directly in his path, and in a loud voice demanded, "Sir! How can you possibly walk past all these drowning people? Have you no conscience? Must I force you to help me save these people?"

The stranger stopped, looked at him for the first time and said with a calm,
focused voice, "Sir, please get out of my way. I am headed upstream to stop the guy who is pushing all these people in."

Each of us has a role to play in rescuing those who are drowning in sin.
Some of us pull people from the water and resuscitate them with counseling, food and shelter, a rehabilitation program, a support group, or financial aid. Affirm those doing these important ministries. Others of us find our place of ministry upstream, opposing the one pushing people into the river. We do this by introducing those people to Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ sets a person free from sin and releases them from Satan's power over them. By itself, pulling people from the water isn't enough. We need to help people deal with the problem of sin at its source.

FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

1. Anger is a condition in which the tongue, works faster than the mind.

2. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

3. Love ... and you shall be loved.

4. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

5. All people smile in the same language.

6. A hug is a great gift, one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange.

7. Everyone needs to be loved, especially when they do not deserve it.

8. The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.

9. Laughter is God's sunshine.

10. Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.

11. It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.

12. Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need.

13. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

14. Happy memories never wear out... Relive them as often as you want.

15. Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best.

16. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.

17. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.

18. Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.

19. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.

20. Patience is the ability to idle your motor, when you feel like stripping your gears.

21. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.

22. The best thing parents can do for their children, is to love each other.

23. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.

24. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.

25. We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.

26. Love is the only thing that can be divided, without being diminished.

27. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.

28. You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.

29. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.

30. Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.

31.The best gifts to give:
 To your friend, loyalty;
 To your enemy, forgiveness;
 To your boss, service;
 To a child, a good example;
 To your parents, gratitude and devotion;
 To your mate, love and faithfulness;
 To all men and women, charity;
 and To God, your life.

WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many friends you have. Or how many people call you. Or how accepted or unaccepted you are. Not about if you have plans this weekend. Or if you're alone. It isn't about who you're dating, who you use to date, how many people you've dated, or if you haven't been with anyone at all. It isn't about who you have kissed. It's not about sex. It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have. Or what kind of car you drive. Or where you're sent to school.

It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are. Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to. It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, brown, or green. Or if your skin is too light or too dark.

It's not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everyone else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are. Or if this teacher likes you, or if this guy/girl likes you. Or what clubs you're in, or how good you are at "your" sport. It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will "accept the written you".

But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully. It's about keeping or betraying trust. It's about friendship, used as sanctity, or as a weapon. It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening. About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip. It's about what judgments you pass and why. And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention. It's about jealousy, fear, pain, ignorance, and revenge. It's about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow and spreading it.

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could never occurred alone. Only you choose the way these hearts are affected and those choices are what life is all about.