Inspiring Story - Don't Give Up

One day I decided to quit...

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality...

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.


But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo see.

I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.


Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?"


"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make

the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

- Unknown

Lessons Of Life

I feared being alone
until I learned to like
myself.

I feared failure
until I realized that I only
fail when I don't try.

I feared success
until I realized
that I had to try
in order to be happy
with myself.

I feared people's opinions
until I learned that
people would have opinions
about me anyway.

I feared rejection
until I learned to
have faith in myself.

I feared pain
until I learned that
it's necessary
for growth.

I feared the truth
until I saw the
ugliness in lies.

I feared life
until I experienced
its beauty.

I feared death
until I realized that it's
not an end, but a beginning.

I feared my destiny,
until I realized that
I had the power to change
my life.

I feared hate
until I saw that it
was nothing more than
ignorance.

I feared love
until it touched my heart,
making the darkness fade
into endless sunny days.

I feared ridicule
until I learned how
to laugh at myself.

I feared growing old
until I realized that
I gained wisdom every day.

I feared the future
until I realized that
life just kept getting
better.

I feared the past
until I realized that
it could no longer hurt me.

I feared the dark
until I saw the beauty
of the starlight.

I feared the light
until I learned that the
truth would give me
strength.

- Unknown -

The Miracle Stitch

The day Oskar placed his grandmother's sapphire ring on Helga's finger, her mother's wedding trunk came down from the attic. As was the family custom, Helga would begin adding their names to the roster of brides and grooms embroidered on a silk petticoat in the trunk. From the time she was a little girl, she had dreamed of this special day and had practiced her exquisite stitch.

Just as Helga completed her own name and was threading the needle for Oskar's name, news came that the feared Gestapo had taken Oskar away. Even though Oskar had fiercely opposed the Third Reich, no one had believed such drastic action would be taken.

Inconsolable, Helga dropped her sewing with the unfinished names, and the gown was returned to the trunk in the attic. With it went the laughter and the joy of the young girl in love. As rumors of the death camps reached their city, everyone--- even Helga --- doubted that Oskar's name would ever be stitched upon the petticoat.

With each passing day, Helga retreated more deeply into her books, rarely speaking a word. But what could her family do? All their energies were devoted to surviving the war as the bombs one by one destroyed their city and then their home.

When the bombing ceased, the family gathered to sift through the rubble. Helga's mother spotted her wedding trunk, one of the few possessions that had survived the blast. When she pulled the contents from the battered trunk, the petticoat suddenly caught her eye. There was Oskar's name --- someone had stitched it beside her daughter's name! Everyone stared at the petticoat in disbelief, fearing the site of this would drive Helga deeper into despair. Instead, she knelt down beside the trunk and ran her fingers gingerly over Oskar's name.

From that day on, the joy came back into Helga's life, despite her family's warnings that after all these years it was doubtful that Oskar could have survived.

Liberation day came and went without any sign of Oskar, but Helga continued to watch and wait for him. Months later a lone Holocaust survivor hobbled into town. He stood before them, a skeleton of a man, beyond recognition to everyone but Helga. The smile was unmistakably Oskar's. Through the years the trunk has been pulled out again and again for the weddings of the children and grandchildren of this devoted couple. It is far more a reminder of their love---it is a symbol of hope.

No one ever discovered who stitched Oskar's name on the petticoat, but truly the faith and hope of that individual helped this couple's love to survive.

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Faith is the way of holding onto what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)
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Shared by Joe Gatuslao
Bacolod City, Philippines

The Need For Planning

As in any journey, planning defines the course of travel. With planning, a traveler is better prepared as he/she encounters intersections and Ys in the road. In order for a traveler to be successful in their journey, he/she must also be prepared for the expected as well as the unexpected. One way to be prepared is by evaluating any possible considerations which serves to reduce apprehension thus instilling a higher confidence in success. People are more able to face diversities with confident when they know and expect a particular outcome. Success is born from a clear understanding of how to achieve and appreciate its’ benefits. It’s a known, while a mystery, that humans are born for success. God provides for it, equips for it and prompts the human spirit to achieve, when and if they are obedient and comply to His nature.


"You think you know the truth? Think again, one man's truth is another's folly."

It’s the rewards of life that makes it meaningful.

While many rewards of life hinge on doors of opportunity someone still has to swing them open. Granted, there is no one simple answer to all the problems of the world, there are only responses to questions. It is the anchor of mediocrity that deprives man of spirit while the soul cries out in desperation for freedom. Yes, the sad truth is, many people live lives of desperation that are dull, drab and uneventful. They incapable of truly waking up from their self-made destiny.

I once knew a man who died and they revived him. He said it was like waking up for the first time. His life experience changed in a heartbeat. Everything was new and fresh, and he saw life in an entirely new light. Because his perception was from another place, he was able to see and feel opportunity from his heart and revere the second chance afford him. Even colors became more vibrant, sounds were crisper and everywhere he turned he saw opportunity. His relationships were from his heart and truth became his viewpoint. Before where he saw only survival as a potential reward he now envisioned life as a glorious new experience. God had gotten his attention in a very distinctive way.

The search for truth is within man.

From the beginning, man has searched for truth. He/she first turned toward God and then to him/herself in the quandary of understanding and an answer to an unanswerable question. From the earliest recorded literature, there have been arguments, debates and dissertations on what constitutes the ingredients of success. Because success is a personal acquirement, one common factor is that a personal involvement of action must take place before success can result. Another common factor is motivation; nothing takes place without a driving force. Yet a third requirement is passion or desire, there must be a passion or desire for the goal for it to become a reality. This is where God’s “law of cause and effect” must be employed before one can progress toward any successful conclusion. Like it or nor, you must get up and act before any kind of success can happen.

Arise and chase a rainbow

Today you must lift your head and begin a new understanding. You have been bottle fed all of your life -- and now it's time to break away and stand on your own two feet. Truth has been kept from you but now it's time to be the person you were meant to be. Face life eye to eye and demand your rightful place. How strong are your desires and your willingness to sacrifice?

No matter how well prepared you may think you are, circumstance can change suddenly. All of your dreams and aspirations can be a thing of the past. Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Because no one knows when the end will come, strive forward like the end is in the next minute. Be hard-working and watchful for only you can make your life meaningful. It is a truth that while success is written on the human heart, action is its force.

You must make the first move

The fact is, you must step off the curb to cross the street. You are standing on the curb now, aren’t you? The traffic is horrendous, frightening, seemingly endless and there it is, a break, a chance, should you take it, or stay on the curb?

There’s safely on the curb, you know because you have been standing there for a lifetime. How long will you continue to stand there, contemplating, wishing, desiring to be across the street? A few minutes, hours, days years, until death? The traffic will always be there and with each passing year, it will get worse. You stand there and with each passing day others join you as you stand on the curb? Look around at the fear, anxiety, sadness, it’s all there, lost dreams, false hopes . . . countless lives left unfilled. Countless dreams drifting away, countless beliefs washed down the drain and you, still stand and wait . . will the traffic ever stop? No, it will always be there. It will always be the barrier between you and your dreams. Your ambitions your real meaning.

Success is not far away

Over there, across the street, is wealth, love, satisfaction and the true essence of life. Over there is who you are. Yes, over there is TRUTH. But you have not been able to see it, because of the traffic. You are consumed about the traffic, you worry about it, you fret about it, it makes you sick and frail and unable to function. You make excuses, I can’t, I don’t know how, I just can’t take a chance. And you rot on the curb until one day, they come and get you. Life is over now, and what did you accomplish? Nothing, you were afraid to get off the curb. Now is your chance to get off the curb and excel as you were born to do.

You only need to believe

First you have to believe, in your self and your abilities. Second dream the insurmountable dream, and third commit your all to the dream. Find what you love most, and commit to it. Once you commit by stepping off the curb, then you have to go all the way. If you love life and it will respond in love.


- By Donald Yates

Special Mothers Day Poem

What Is a Mother

It takes a Mother's Love
to make a house a home,
A place to be remembered,
no matter where we roam.

It takes a Mother's Patience,
to bring a child up right,
And her Courage and her Cheerfulness
to make a dark day bright.

It takes a Mother's Thoughtfulness
to mend the heart's deep "hurts,"
And her Skill and her Endurance
to mend little socks and shirts.

It takes a Mother's Kindness
to forgive us when we err,
To sympathize in trouble
and bow her head in prayer.

It takes a Mother's Wisdom
to recognize our needs
And to give us reassurance
by her loving words and deeds.

It takes a Mother's Endless Faith,
her Confidence and Trust
To guide us through the pitfalls
of selfishness and lust.

And that is why in all this world
there could not be another
Who could fulfill God's purpose
as completely as a MOTHER!

- Helen Steiner Rice -

Mother's Love Goes Deep

"You don't love me!"
How many times have your kids laid that one on you?
And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much?

Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I'll tell them.

I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money that we could afford and you couldn't.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your handpicked friend was a creep;

I loved you enough to make you return a Milky Way with a bite out of it to a drugstore and say, "I stole this."

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me fifteen minutes.

I loved you enough to say, "Yes, you may go to Disney World on Mother's Day."

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or you bad manners.

I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask your forgiveness.

I loved you enough to ignore "what every other mother" did or said.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt and fail.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your own actions, at 6, 10, and 16.

I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned but forgave you for it after discovering I was right.

I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas and insensitive to your demands...so that you had to stand alone.

I loved you enough to accept you for what you are,
not what I wanted you to be.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say no
when you hated me for it.

THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF ALL.

~~ Author Unknown

Determination

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.


"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.

- Author Unknown