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THE PARABLE OF THE STONES by Max Lucado

A wife of noble character who
can find? She is worth far more than
   rubies. — Proverbs 3 1:10 (NW) –

   I MUST WARN you, reader; before you begin. These words are ancient
   jewels mined from the quarry of my life. Read them only if you dare
   treasure them. For it would be better to never know, than to know and
   not obey.

   The hand which writes them is now old, wrinkled from the sun and labor.
   But the mind which guides them is wise.
   wise from years
   wise from failures
   wise from heartache.
   I am Asmara, merchant of fine stones.

   I am a seller of stones. I travel from city to city. I buy jewels from
   the diggers in one land and sell them to the buyers in another I have
   weathered nights on stormy waters. I have walked days through desert
   heat. I have dined with kings. I
have drunk with paupers. My hands have
   held the finest rubies and stroked the deepest furs. But I would trade
   it all for the one jewel I never knew.

It was not for lack of opportunity that I never held it. There was a
   chance in Madrid when I was young. No, it was not for lack of
   opportunity. It was for lack of wisdom. The jewel was in my hand, but I
   exchanged it for an imitation. And now I fear my days will end without
   my ever knowing the beauty of the precious stone.

   I have never known true love.

   I have known embraces. I have seen beauty. But I have never known love.

   If only I’d learned to recognize love as I have learned to recognize
   stones.

   My father taught me about stones. He was a jewel cutter. He would seat
   me at a table before a dozen
emeralds. "One is true," he would tell me.
   "The others are false. Find the true jewel."

   I would ponder"studying one after the other. Finally I would choose. I
   was always wrong.

   "The secret, "he would say," is not on the surface of the stone; it is
   inside the stone. A true jewel has a glow. Deep within the gem there is
   a flame. The surface can always be polished to shine, but with time the
   sparkle fades. However, the stone that shines from within will never
   fade."

   With the years, my eyes learned to spot true stones. I am never fooled.
   The stones I purchase are authentic. The gems I sell are true. I have
   learned to see the light within.

   If only I had learned the same about love.

   But Ive been foolish, dear reader, and Ive been
fooled.

   Ive spent my life in places I shouldn’t have been, looking for
   someone
   with sparkling eyes, beautiful hair, a dazzling smile, and fancy
   clothes. Ive searched for a woman with outer beauty, but no true
   value. And now I am left with emptiness.

   Once I almost found her. Many years ago in Madrid, I met the daughter
   of a farmer. Her ways were simple. Her love was pure. Her eyes were
   honest. But her looks were plain. She would have loved me. She would
   have held me through every season. Within her was a glow of devotion
   the like of which Ive never seen since.

   But I continued looking for someone whose beauty would outshine the
   rest.

   How many times since have I longed for that farm girls kind heart,
   her
   sweet smile, her
faithfulness? If only Id known that true beauty is
   found inside, not outside. If only Id known, how many tears would I
   have saved?

   Id trade in a moment a thousand rare gems for the true heart of one
   who would have loved me.

   Dear reader, heed my warning. Look closely at the stones before you
   open your purse. True love glows from within and grows stronger with
   the passage of time.

   Heed my caution. Look for the purest gem. Look deep within the heart to
   find the greatest beauty of all. And when you find that gem, hold onto
   her and never let her go.

   For in her you have been granted a treasure worth far more than rubies.

   Seek beauty and miss love.
   But seek love and find both…..:-

"Love is a commitment of the heart
that will stand the test
of wavering emotions, intellectual rationalizing, circumstantial
allure, hormonal infatuation, and even the wounds of your lover.
Anything less is not true love."

                              

4 Wives

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to
neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him
for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind,
considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he
could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times

The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great
contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of
her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his
luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die,
I’ll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , "I loved you the 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.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all my life. Now that I’m
dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" 

"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to
remarry!"

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you’ve
always been there for me. 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 walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him
like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where
you go."

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she
suffered from malnutrition and neglect.  Greatly grieved, the King said, "I
should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in
making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all
go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been
there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power
and pleasures of the world.  However, our Soul is the only thing that will
follow us where ver we go.

Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that
will follow us to the throne

of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day:

Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect
position to pray.

Interesting Conversation

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class
on the problem science has with God, the Almighty.

He asks one of his new Christian students to stand
and…..

Professor: You are a Christian, aren’t you, son?

Student : Yes, sir.

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student : Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student : Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed
to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help
others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God
good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again,
young fella.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to
identify and

observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you
ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student : No , sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God,
smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory
perception of God for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do
you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn’t.

The lecture theater becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat
or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We
can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but
we can’t go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is
energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat,sir, just the
absence of it.

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there
such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal
light, bright light, flashing light….But if you have
no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called
darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it
were you would be able to make darkness darker,
wouldn’t you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise
is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one. To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.

Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary
process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your
own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning
to realize where the argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process
of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this
process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a
preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the
Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt
it?…..No one appears to have done so. So, according
to the established rules of empirical, stable,
demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no
brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then
trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & god
is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive..

Eats!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Dunkin and Krispy Crème Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "And as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles."
And they gained 10 pounds.  And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil’s Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.  And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!"  And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

-excerpt from email

THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA!

The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly its true!
She pressed
‘control’ and ‘enter’ And disappeared from view.
It devoured her
completely, the thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a
virus Or been eaten by a worm. ; I’ve searched through the recycle bin
And files of every kind; I’ve even used the Internet, But nothing did I
find.
In desperation, I asked Jeeves My searches to refine.
The reply
from him was negative, Not a thing was found ‘online.’
So, if inside
your ‘Inbox,’ My Grandma you should see, Please ‘Copy,”Scan’ and
‘Paste’ her And send her back to me.

This is a tribute to all the
Grandmas who have been fearless and learned to use the Computer….
…. They are the greatest!!!
We do not stop playing because we grow
old; We grow old because we stop playing.
Never Be The First To Get Old

-excerpt from "Angelscots Mailing List"

What love is….

 A group of professional people posed this question to a group of
4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think :
_____
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love."
Rebecca- age 8
_____
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4 (I love this one)
____
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
___
"Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired."
Terri - age 4
____
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
_____
"Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
_____
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)
_____
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
____
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
_____
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
_____
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
_____
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
_____
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross."
Mark - age 6
_____
"You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
____
And the final one — Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
____
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that
God is all you need.