Second Chance

If we might have a second chance, to live the day once more;

and rectify mistakes we've made to even up the score.

If we might have a second chance, to use the knowledge gained;

perhaps we might become at last, as fine as God ordained.

But though we can't retrace our steps, however stands the score;

tomorrow brings another chance, for us to try once more!

One's Worth

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. "I am going to give this $20 to or value in ne of you, but first let me do this." Still the hands went up in the air. "Well, what if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still, the hands went up.






"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But, no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless!"


















THOUGHT: The worth of our lives come not in what we do or who we are, but in WHOSE we are!

Four Wives

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies.  He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.  He also loved the 3rd wife very much.  He's very proud of her and always wanted to show her off to his friends.  However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife.  She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.  Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household.  However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

 

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon.  He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me.  But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!  Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you.  Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart.

 

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life.  Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "No!" replied the 3rd wife.  "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!"  The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

 

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out.  Now I need your help again.  When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife.  "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave."  The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. 

 

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you.  I'll follow you no matter where you go."  The merchant looked up and there was his first wife.  She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition.  Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"

 

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives.  The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.  Our 3rd wife?  Our possessions, status and wealth.  When we die, they all go to others.  The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.  The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure.  Guess what?  It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go.  Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

Learning from Noah's Ark!

ALL WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WE LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK

 

1. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

 

2. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.

 

3. Don't listen to critics -- do what has to be done.

 

4. Build on high ground.

 

5. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

 

6. Two heads are better than one.

 

7. Speed isn't always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.

 

8. If you can't fight or flee -- float!

 

9. Take care of your animals as if they were the last ones on earth.

 

10. Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.

 

11. When the doo-doo gets really deep, don't sit there and complain -- shovel!!!

 

12. Stay below deck during the storm.

 

13. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.

 

14. If you have to start over, have a friend by your side.

 

15. Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.

 

16. Don't miss the boat.

 

17. No matter how bleak it looks, there's always a rainbow on the other side.

 

18. "Stop what you are doing, and do what God says!"

 

Four Wives

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies.  He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.  He also loved the 3rd wife very much.  He's very proud of her and always wanted to show her off to his friends.  However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife.  She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.  Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household.  However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

 

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon.  He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me.  But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!  Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you.  Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart.

 

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life.  Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "No!" replied the 3rd wife.  "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!"  The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

 

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out.  Now I need your help again.  When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"  "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife.  "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave."  The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. 

 

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you.  I'll follow you no matter where you go."  The merchant looked up and there was his first wife.  She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition.  Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"

 

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives.  The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.  Our 3rd wife?  Our possessions, status and wealth.  When we die, they all go to others.  The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.  The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure.  Guess what?  It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go.  Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.