*The Parable of the Coffee Bottle*

A young couple had neighbours who were senior citizens, the husband around 80 years old, and the wife about 5 years younger. 

The young couple were very fond of the elderly couple and made it a point to visit them and have coffee with them every Sunday.

They observed that the old lady would bring the coffee bottle to her husband to be opened, every time.

The thoughtful young man gifted the lady a gadget, without her husbands knowledge, to easily open the bottle, and showed her how to use it.

On their next visit, the old lady once again brought the bottle for her husband to open! The young couple was amazed! Had she forgotten about the gadget?! 

When the opportunity arose to be alone with the old lady, they quizzed her about this. Her reply made them speechless......

She said: "Oh, I can open the bottle myself, even without your gadget! But I get him to open it so he feels he is still stronger than I am and thus the man of our home.......that he remains useful to me as always; that I still depend on him; that togetherness is the main ingredient of any marriage....we don't have many more years of life in us, and togetherness is of utmost importance......"

*Moral*: Never underestimate the wisdom of the elderly. Our parents/grandparents may not be bringing in money any longer, but their guidance alone is priceless. You may have a fruitless tree in your garden, but at least it gives you shade......you will not cut it off, now, will you? Looking after the elderly and infirm should be looked upon as a *blessing*.

Wonderful story - Do good dont stop doing good!!

A woman baked chapatti (roti) for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapatti on the window sill, for whosoever would take it away. Every day, a hunchback came and took away the chapatti. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: “The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!” This went on, day after day. Every day, the hunchback came, picked up the chapatti and uttered the words:

“The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!” The woman felt irritated. “Not a word of gratitude,” she said to herself… “Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean?” One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. “I shall get rid of this hunchback,” she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the chapatti she prepared for him!

As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. “What is this I am doing?” she said. Immediately, she threw the chapatti into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window sill. As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the chapatti and muttered the words: “The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!”

The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Every day, as the woman placed the chapatti on the window sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return.

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, “Mom, it’s a miracle I’m here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged of him for a morsel of food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole chapatti. As he gave it to me, he said, “This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!”

” As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned chapatti that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life!

It was then that she realized the significance of the words: “The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!” Do good and Don’t ever stop doing good, even if it is not appreciated at that time.

 !Wonderful story….with POWERFUL lesson

Are you tired of living in this world??

#spreadlove_spreadpeace 

Imagine you were born in 1900.

When you're 14, World War I begins and ends when you're 18 with 22 million dead.

Soon after a global pandemic, the Spanish Flu, appears, killing 50 million people. And you're alive and 20 years old.

When you're 29 you survive the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment and famine.

When you're 33 years old the nazis come to power.

When you're 39, World War II begins and ends when you're 45 years old with a 60 million dead. In the Holocaust 6 million Jews die.

When you're 52, the Korean War begins.

When you're 64, the Vietnam War begins and ends when you're 75.

A child born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they have survived several wars and catastrophes.

Today we have all the comforts in a new world, amid a new pandemic. But we complain because we need to wear masks. We complain because we must stay confined to our homes where we have food, electricity, running water, wifi, even Netflix! None of that existed back in the day. But humanity survived those circumstances and never lost their joy of living.

A small change in our perspective can generate miracles. We should be thankful that we are alive. We should do everything we need to do to protect and help each other.

Be safe 🙏

Interesting scientific facts

“Drink water from the spring where horses drink. The horse will never drink bad water.

Lay your bed where the cat sleeps.

Eat the fruit that has been touched by a worm.

Boldly pick the mushroom on which the insects sit.

Plant the tree where the mole digs.

Build your house where the snake sits to warm itself.

Dig your fountain where the birds hide from heat.

Go to sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds – you will reap all of the days golden grains.

Eat more green – you will have strong legs and a resistant heart, like the beings of the forest.

Swim often and you will feel on earth like the fish in the water.

Look at the sky as often as possible and your thoughts will become light and clear.

Be quiet a lot, speak little – and silence will come in your heart, and your spirit will be calm and full of peace.”

Saint Seraphim of Sarov

via Emily Olga Dillon

Stay Strong- motivated thoughts

A while back I read a story of a visiting pastor who attended a men's breakfast in the middle of a rural farming area of the country. The group had asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going.

The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour". The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits.  Amen."

Within that prayer there is great wisdom for all when it comes to complicated situations like we are experiencing in the world today.

Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing several things that we don't really care for, but something even better is going to come when HE is done with it.

Value of life- must needed thoughts

I asked one of my friends who has crossed 65 & is heading to 80. What sort of change he is feeling in him?

He sent me the following very interesting lines, which i would like to share with you all.....

1)After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children, my friends, now i have started loving myself.

2) i just realised that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3) i now stopped bargaining with vegetables & fruits vendors. After all, a few Rupees more is not going to burn a hole in my pocket but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4) i pay the taxi driver without waiting for the change. The extra money might bring a smile on his face. After all he is toiling much harder for a living than me

5) i stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. After all, the story makes them walk down the memory lane & relive the past.

6) i have learnt not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. After all, the onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7) i give compliments freely & generously. After all it's a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me

8) i have learnt not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. After all, personality speaks louder than appearances.

9) i walk away from people who don't value me. After all, they might not know my worth, but I do.

10) i remain cool when someone plays dirty politics to outrun me in the rat race. After all, I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.

11) i am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. After all, it's my emotions that make me human.

12) i have learnt that its better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. After all, my ego will keep me aloof whereas with relationships I will never be alone*.

13) i have learnt to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14) i am doing what makes me happy. After all, I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to me.

 ☘ 🥒

*i decided to send this to many, because why do we have to wait for so long, why can't we practice this at any stage.and age.......*

Answer to the Prayer !! Renewal story

*This story touched me a lot, and I want to share it with you.*

*The theme was: HOLD ON TO CHRIST:*

*A Pastor was ministering in a remote area where he had to trek each Sunday for 4 hours through thick forest, and to make it on time, he had to start travelling on foot from 4:00 am.* 

*One Sunday morning, as the Pastor was in the midst of the forest, thunder announced rains. He knelt down and prayed to God to hold the rains back until he reached the parish and to protect his pastoral vestments, his Bible and communion. But after prayer, the rains started pouring heavily. He reached the parish badly soacked by the rains. He preached but with discouragement because to him, God had not answered  his prayers.*

*Back home, he could not even eat. He was contemplating whether to resign or continue because he could no longer serve a God who does not answer prayers. He believed his prayers were not effective and did not match  his preaching.*

*While he was reflecting on the decision to take, three young men entered his home and said to him: "Pastor, we came to testify and assure u that you should continue serving your God for He is a living God."*

*The pastor changed his attitude and was eager to know more. They showed him money and told him they'd been paid to kill him because his prayers and preachings were disturbing the witches, wizards, sorcerers and occultists in this community.*

*That they were in the forest waiting for him to shoot him when from nowhere and in the midst of the dry season, heavy rains started pouring and wet the gun powder they were to use. They were shocked by this event. They were holding guns in their hands as they watched the pastor pass them with no power to accomplish their awful mission.*

*After hearing this, the Pastor knelt down, thanked God and committed to serve Him for the rest of his life and said, he has a God that will never fail him.*

*Do you have a God that always answers your prayers the way you want?*

*Draw your own lesson. The truth is: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER.*

*Be blessed and Hold on to Christ. Share this if you were touched and inspired like I just did.*  

 *Shalom..!!*

Quarantine life- story

Worth reading....

A movie theater announced that an 8-minute movie won the title of Best Short Film in the World ...

     So, it was decided to display this movie in the cinema for free, so that the largest crowd could gather to watch it ...

    The movie began with a snapshot of a room ceiling that is devoid of any decoration and of any details;  Just a white ceiling ...

    3 minutes passed without the camera moving and it did not move to any other scene, or any other part of the ceiling in the same room ...

    Another 3 minutes passed without the camera moving and without changing the scene ...

    After 6 boring minutes, the viewers started grumbling;  Some of them were about to leave the theater hall;  And some of them objected to the officials of the house because they wasted their time watching a ceiling ...

    Suddenly, before the majority became concerned and starting to leave, the camera lens slowly moved on a wall without any details as well until it reached down towards the floor, there a child appeared on a bed, who seems to be totally handicapped due to the spinal cord tare in his little body ...

    The camera slowly moved to the side of the handicap bed, showing a wheelchair without a back ...

    The camera moved to the boredom location of the ceiling again;  To show a sentence: *"We showed you only 8 minutes of this child's daily activity, only 8 minutes from the scene that this handicapped child watches at all hours of his life, and you complained and weren’t patient for only six minutes, you couldn't bear to watch it ..!* ...
   
    So know the value of every second of your life that you spend in wellness, and thank your Lord for every blessing bestowed on you, and you will not feel its existence unless you lose it ...😔

    We suffer from quarantine and the curfew, which is, God willing, for a limited time, and we do not know that there are millions who lived their entire lives in quarantine ...😒

    Covid-19 has forced us to have the time to think about many privileges , and we thank God for the blessing of the freedom of movement and out of the house to see life, breathe the air, and practice activity in its various colors ...

    Praise be to God for what God has blessed us with of which we have not realized...

 *We NEED TO thank God for the blessings ever and forever*...

*Be Grateful & Be Patient*...!!! 🌺

Story about Peas biryani 🍲🍛

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*" The Voice of God "*

*_Mother usually made Peas Biryani on Wednesday afternoons in winter. It was her favourite dish to prepare, for it was easy to make, yet a hot favourite amongst the kids. Moreover fresh peas were in season and tasted heavenly._*

*_She heated some oil in a pan and added a spoonful of cumin seeds. Then she added a handful of chopped onions. She proceeded to add some green peas and seasoned them with salt and turmeric powder. Having sauted them for a couple of minutes she turned in the cleaned and washed rice and poured in a good amount of water. She covered the pan with a lid and let it cook on a slow flame._*

*Strangely, the ingredients in the simmering pot started a conversation...*

 *The "rice" was the first to say, I am the most important of all of us present here for I am pure white and wholesome. I am the key ingredient to making Peas Biryani. I am _Sathya_ . This is the Truth.*

*The yellow "turmeric" powder chuckled and said, No longer are you white my dear, for I have dyed you in my own colour. I am _Dharma_. This is my duty.*

*The "peas" smiled peacefully and said, What is Peas Biryani, without peas, eh? We are the most attractive and delicious part of this preparation. We are _shanti_. We are _peace_. We are peas (peace) and our colour too is green that is the colour of peace.*

*The "salt" mused to itself and said, Who would ever be able to eat Peas Biryani, without salt ?  I am the most important of all. If I were not there Peas Biryani would be unpalatable. My taste shall be infused in each particle. I am _prema_. I love each one of you equally.*

*The "onions" said, We add the tang to this dish. We add flavour. We are the soul of all vegetarian food. We are _ahimsa_. We tolerate all other flavours, yet retain our .*

*The "pan" spoke up and said, It's me who is holding all of you in here. But for me, you would all have been separate identities. I have held you together, so that jointly, you can become a delicious dish. Where would you be without me ? I am _discipline_ and I am indispensable.*

*The "cumin seeds" were dancing up and down in the boiling water and said, Try making Biryani, without us It shall be quite tasteless. We sizzle in the hot oil first of all for we are devoted to spreading our flavour, wherever we go. We are _devotion_.*

*The _Biryani_ was almost ready and the "oil" glistened on every grain of rice. It said, I ensure that each grain of rice, each pea and each cumin seed, retains its individual identity.*
*I prevent stickiness. I am _discrimination_.*

 *The "water" was almost completely absorbed by now. It smiled contentedly and said, I was determined to permeate into each particle of all of you.* *Without me could peas Biryani ever have been made ?  I am _determination_  and I am the most important of all.*

*Mother came by and checked to see, if the Biryani was done. The "gas flame" smiled quietly to itself and said, Each one is so full of its own importance. Without the power of heat provided by me, what would they be ? It is the power of God *vested in me that I can give the energy to cook. But alas, who remembers the Power of God ?*

*God smiled to Himself as the lady turned off the gas and waited, till .... He was needed again.*
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*Each one of us in this world is so full of his or her importance. We conveniently forget God who gives us the power to do everything. Whether acknowledged or not, whether remembered or not, God is the power behind doing and making everything, even Peas Biryani.*
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*INCIDENTALLY, THIS ALSO PROVIDES ANOTHER LESSON...*

*FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS TO BE SUCCESSFUL LIKE MAKING OF THE BIRYANI WITH DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS, WE NEED ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, NONE CAN BE LEFT OUT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LIKE WE MUST VALUE THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WE MUST ALSO VALUE THE UNITY BETWEEN ALL OF US FRIENDS AND NONE MUST FEEL LEFT OUT".*

*_Even one person left out will dent the value of friendship ... like it will do to a Biryani if any one of the ingredients are left out._*

*"If we focus on the Eternal, we will remain unaffected by the changing experiences of life."*

        *Stay Strong...*
        *Stay Home...*
        *Stay Safe...*

       *”STAY BLESSED”*
       *"STAY UNITED"*

   🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸

A wisdom to share - Covid 19

This is the best response at this moment,

Uganda President KAGUTA MUSEVENI warns against people misbehaving during this COVID-19 period, "God has a lot of work, He has the whole world to look after. He cannot just be here in Uganda looking after idiots...". Below is his reported statement.

"In a war situation, nobody asks anyone to stay indoors. You stay indoors by choice. In fact, if you have a basement, you hide there for as long as hostilities persist. During a war, you don't insist on your freedom. You willingly give it up in exchange for survival. During a war, you don't complain of hunger. You bear hunger and pray that you live to eat again

During a war, you don't argue about opening your business. You close your shop (if you have the time), and run for your life. You pray to outlive the war so that you can return to your business (that's if it has not been looted or destroyed by mortar fire.

During a war, you are thankful to God for seeing another day in the land of the living. During a war, you don't worry about your children not going to school. You pray that the government does not forcefully enlist them as soldiers to be trained in the school premises now turned military depot.

The world is currently in a state of war. A war without guns and bullets. A war without human soldiers. A war without borders. A war without cease-fire agreements. A war without a war room. A war without sacred zones.

The army in this war is without mercy. It is without any milk of human kindness. It is indiscriminate - it has no respect for children, women, or places of worship. This army is not interested in spoils of war. It has no intention of regime change. It is not concerned about the rich mineral resources underneath the earth. It is not even interested in religious, ethnic or ideological hegemony. Its ambition has nothing to do with racial superiority. It is an invisible, fleetfooted, and ruthlessly effective army.

Its only agenda is a harvest of death. It is only satiated after turning the world into one big death field. Its capacity to achieve its aim is not in doubt. Without ground, amphibious and aeriel machines, it has bases in almost every country of the world. Its movement is not governed by any war convention or protocol. In short, it is a law unto itself. It is Coronavirus. Also known as COVID-19 (because it announced its destructive presence and intention in the year of our Lord 2019)

Thankfully, this army has a weakness and it can be defeated. It only requires our collective action, discipline and forbearance. COVID-19 cannot survive social and physical distancing. It only thrives when you confront it. It loves to be confronted. It capitulates in the face of collective social and physical distancing. It bows before good personal hygiene. It is helpless when you take your destiny in your own hands by keeping them sanitized as often as possible.

Let's obey and follow the instructions of the authorities. Let's flatten the COVID-19 curve. Let's exercise patience. Let's be our brothers' keeper. In no time, we shall regain our freedom, enterprise and socializing."

In the midst of EMERGENCY, we practice urgency of service and the urgency of love for others✨
God bless us all🙏🏻