Is there anyone richer than you ??!!

Someone asked the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, “Is there anyone richer than you in the world ?”

Bill Gates replied, “Yes, there is a person who is richer than me.”

He then narrated a story.

“It was during the time when I wasn’t rich or famous.

“I was at the New York Airport when I saw a newspaper vendor.

“I wanted to buy one newspaper but found that I didn’t have enough change. So I left the idea of buying and returned it to the vendor.

“I told him of not having the change. The vendor said, ‘I am giving you this for free.’ On his insistence I took the newspaper.

“Coincidentally, after two to three months, I landed at the same airport and again I was short of change for a newspaper. The vendor offered me the newspaper again. I refused and said that I can’t take it for I don’t have change today too. He said, ‘You can take it, I am sharing this from my profit, I won’t be at loss.’ I took the newspaper.

“After 19 years I became famous and known by people. Suddenly I remembered that vendor. I began searching for him and after about 1½ months of searching, I found him.

“I asked him, ‘Do you know me?’ He said, ‘Yes, you are Bill Gates.’

“I asked him again, ‘Do you remember once you gave me a newspaper for free?’

“The vendor said, ‘Yes, I remember. I gave you twice.’

“I said, ‘I want to repay the help you had offered me that time. Whatever you want in your life, tell me, I shall fulfill it.’

“The vendor said, ‘Sir, don’t you think that by doing so you won’t be able to match my help?’

“I asked, ‘Why?’

“He said, ‘I had helped you when I was a poor newspaper vendor and you are trying to help me now, when you have become the richest man in the world. How can your help match mine ?’

“That day I realized that the newspaper vendor is richer than I am, because he didn’t wait to become rich to help someone.”

People need to understand that the truly rich are those who possess a rich heart rather than lots of money.

It’s really very important to have a rich. - Routine of education.

Death of conscience

Lovely poem by Ram Jethmalani, who died at 95-
————————————
Sometimes in the dark of the night,
I visit my conscience  
To see if  it is still breathing,
For its dying a slow death
Every day.

When I pay for a meal in a fancy place.
An amount which is perhaps the monthly income 
Of the guard who holds the door open.
And quickly I shrug away that thought,
It dies a little.

When I buy vegetables from the vendor, 
And his son "chhotu" smilingly weighs the potatoes,
Chhotu, a small child, who should be studying at school.
 I look the other way
It dies a little.

When I am decked up in a designer dress,
A dress that cost a bomb 
And I see a woman at the crossing,
In tatters,trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity. 
And I immediately  roll up my window.
It dies a little. 

When I buy expensive gifts for my children, 
On return,  I see half clad children, 
With empty stomach and hungry eyes, 
Selling toys at red light 
I try to save my conscience by buying some, yet
It dies a little. 

When my sick  maid sends her daughter to work, 
Making her bunk school 
I know I should tell her to go back. 
But I look at the loaded sink and dirty dishes, 
And I tell myself that is just for a couple of days 
It dies a little. 

When I hear about a rape
or a murder of a child,
I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child.
I can not  look at myself  in the mirror,
It dies a little. 

When people fight over caste creed and religion.
I feel hurt and helpless
I tell  myself that my country is going to the dogs,
I blame the corrupt politicians, 
Absolving myself of all responsibilities 
It dies a little. 

When my city is choked.
Breathing is dangerous  in the smog ridden metropolis,
I take my car to work daily ,
Not taking  the metro,not trying car pool. 
One car won't make a difference, I think 
It dies a little. 

So when in the dark of the night,
I visit my conscience 
And find it still breathing 
I am surprised. 
For, with my own hands 
Daily, bit by bit, I kill it, I bury it.

Does GOD still speak to people?

A young man attended a Wednesday Night Bible Study and the Pastor preached about listening to GOD and
obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but ponder, 'Does GOD still speak to people?'
After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.
They talked about how GOD had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home, and he prayed; ' GOD...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, GOD is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of GOD, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. 'Okay, GOD, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .At the next intersection; he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud,’ Okay, GOD I will.' He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat 'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay GOD, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.' He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?’ Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk towards the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an angel?
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back to his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that GOD still answers prayers.Share it help a brother believe in prayer. It is a blessing to do God's work. 

Amen

What kind of children are we creating???

A few weeks ago, I had attended a birthday party of my daughter’s friend. There they played a game, the age old ‘Passing the parcel’, however, what was different was the way it was played. The child who was caught with the parcel when the music stopped was asked to leave the circle, but with that parcel as the gift, and then a new parcel was introduced. The game continued till every child got a gift. I asked the mother what was wrong with the earlier version, the version we had all grown up with.

She said – “I do not like kids to be disappointed. See, here every child is happy as he or she gets to take a gift home.”

In another instance, I was in the park with my daughter. She was playing lock and key with her friends. Now, one of her friends fell down. Her mother, who was on the other side of the park ran to his son, all confused and upset. She scooped her son in her lap and started inquiring – “Are you hurt? Let me see! Do no cry! Shush, mama is here.”

The child, had a scraped knee, who was perfectly OK till then, started crying earnestly.

I was at a friend’s home for lunch. Her 5-year old daughter refused to eat what was cooked for lunch. My friends felt so guilty that her daughter would go hungry, that she cooked up her favourite pasta immediately. According to her, it was not the first time this had happened.

At the School Sports Day, there are no races, no competition. No first, second or runner ups. Because, everyone is equal, there should be no competition between the kids.

Kids today have a room full of toys and games. Some they ask, some they do not. But, they still get them.

Everything in excess is the new mantra of life.

Our parents taught us self-reliance, while we hover around our children and want to protect them at all costs. We like to hold our babies closer to the protection of the nest. We go out of our way and rustle up something when they don’t eat what’s cooked at home for everyone else, because we don’t them to sleep hungry. Instead of letting them play outside, we organize activities for them. We do their homework and their assignments. We even resolve their conflicts for them.

It makes me wonder, what will happen to these kids when they grow up?

Will they get a gift everytime they fail? Will they be able to handle disappointment? A child who has never been denied anything, how will he cope with rejections? There are a growing number of cases when kids run away from home or commit suicide because they are not able to deal with low marks in examinations or when they fail to secure an admission in an institution of their choice.

Will their parents keep them hidden in their bosom all their life? Our mothers never ran after us, a scraped knee was just that. She would ask us to wash it with some water and then forget about it. But, there was no drama that followed.

Falling and hurting was a part of daily life for us. We cycled, climbed up trees and jumped from the stairs. Today, kids travel in elevators and escalators (because they might fall down the stairs and get themselves hurt). Earlier, kids walked and cycled. I hardly see kids walking nowadays, unless it’s for a kids’ marathon and they are required to pose for selfies with their cool mommies.

Will they shy away from competition or be able to survive it? OK, so we can accompany our kids till the college gate and sit in the waiting area while they appear for a job interview. 

A child who is never used to losing – how will he survive in the big bad world?

We are raising our kids to be adult babies.

So what should we do?

Stop telling our children that they are special all the time. They are not, at least not always. So reserve the praises for the times when they actually deserve.

Stop going out of the way to create happiness in their life. The life is a mix of joys and sorrows, and it is for a reason. We have no right to interfere with the nature. So let’s stop pretending that everything is all right when it’s not. Let the kids have their fair share of disappointments at an early age. It’s better to fall at 10, than at 40 !!

-WHO IS JESUS TO YOU???

I went to an Electrician and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD..💡😊 🙌

I went to a Hunter and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied he's the LION OF JUDAH👑🙌💯

I went to a Baker and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE.🙌🙌💯

I went to the Doctor and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the GREAT PHYSICIAN 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Plumber and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LIVING WATER 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Farmer and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the TRUE WINE 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Builder and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the CORNERSTONE, FOUNDATION🙌🙌💯

I went to the Gardener and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LILLY OF THE VALLEY, ROSE OF SHARON 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Fisherman and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the FISHER OF MEN 🙌🙌💯

I went to the prison and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the PRISON BREAKER 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Miner and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the MOST PRECIOUS STONE 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Pharmacist  and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the HEALING OINTMENT  🙌🙌💯

I went to the Publisher and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the giver of GOOD NEWS  🙌🙌💯

I went to the Shepherd  and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL  🙌🙌💯
I went to a KING and asked him 
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the KING of KINGS....👑💪😊

The person I didn't meet yet is you. But now that I have meet you and you have read this post let me ask you😊
-WHO IS JESUS TO YOU???

👩‍🎓Wise Words👨‍🎓

```In life, some may walk, others may run, but remember the Lord gave the tortoise and the horse the same days to reach Noah's ark. Your journey might be rough and tough but you will definitely get to your destination.
Jacob looked at Joseph and saw a good son! The ten brothers looked at Joseph and saw a useless dreamer! The travellers looked at Joseph and saw a slave!! Potiphar looked at Joseph and saw a fine servant!! Potiphar's wife looked at Joseph and saw a potential boyfriend! The prison officers saw in Joseph a prisoner! How wrong were all of them! God looked at Joseph and saw a Prime Minister of Egypt in waiting!! Don't be discouraged by what people see in you!! Be encouraged by what God sees in you!! Never underrate the person next to you because you never know what the Lord has deposited in that person. (Remember David got the anointing of becoming a King while he was a simple child herding sheep. Esther was a simple orphaned girl yet she was a Queen in waiting). Let's share God's love and make the world a better place to live. Show that love by sharing this message with those you love.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW PEOPLE SEE YOU, IT MATTERS HOW GOD SEES YOU
God is God:
🏽He doesn't care about *age*, no wonder he blessed Abraham.
🏽He doesn't care about *experience*, no wonder he chose David.
🏽He doesn't care about *gender,* no wonder he lifted Esther.
🏽He doesn't care about *your past*, no wonder he called Paul.
🏽He doesn't care about *your physical appearance*, no wonder he chose Zacchaeus
(the shortest one).
🏽He doesn't care about *fluency in speech* , no wonder he chose Moses.
🏽He doesn't care about *your career*, no wonder he choose Mary Magdalene; a prostitute. 
All I know is that my God never changes
🏽He never made *a promise he wouldn't keep*👌🏾
He never saw *a person he wouldn't help*👌🏾
🏽He never heard *a prayer he wouldn't answer*👌🏾
🖼He never found *a soul he wouldn't love*👌🏾
🏽He never found *a sinner he wouldn't forgive*👌🏾
This is the kind of God I would like to commune with every day the moment I wake up. I strongly recommend Him to you.`'

Broken crayons still colour 👩‍🎨

*It is a mistake to think time is going. Time is not going. Time is here until the world ends. It is you that is going. You don’t waste time. Time is infinite. You waste yourself. You are finite. It is you that grow old and die. Time doesn’t. So make better use of yourself before you expire. And one of the worst things to do with time is comparing yourself to others. A cow eats grass and gets fat but if dog eats grass, it will die. Never compare yourself with others. Run your own race. What works for one person may be that which will kill you. Focus on the gifts and talents God gave you and don’t be envious of the blessings He gave others.*

*Both Lion and Shark are professional hunters, BUT:*

*A Lion cannot hunt in the Ocean and a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle*

*That a Lion cannot hunt in the ocean doesn't make him useless and that a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle doesn't also make him useless both have their own territory where they can do well*

*If a rose smells better than tomatoes, It doesn't mean the rose can make a better stew. Don't try to compare yourself to others.* 

*You also have your own strength, look for it and build on it.* *All animals that exist, were in Noah's ark. A snail is one of those animals. If God could wait long enough for snails to enter Noah's ark; His door of grace won't close till you reach your expected position in life. Never look down on yourself, keep looking up.*

 *Remember that Broken crayons still colour.*

*Keep on pushing, you never can tell how close you are to your goal...!*

*THE TABLECLOTH*

This is an old story but worth narrating again



-  A Beautiful story . . . makes you understand that things happen for a reason .

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. 

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days. 

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,  and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials 'EBG' were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again in all the 35 years between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

This is a true story submitted by Pastor Rob Reid who says, "God does work in mysterious ways. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you. His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares we know He will see us through.

"So when the road you're traveling seems difficult at best, just remember I'm here praying and God will do the rest. 

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. 

*_"Can you sleep when the wind blows?"_*

_The following story is a superb metaphorical exposition of the level of preparedness._

_Years ago, a farmer owned some land along the Atlantic seacoast._
_He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic._

_They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals._

_Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. 'Are you a good farm hand?' the farmer asked him._

_'Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,' answered the little man._

_Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him._

_The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work._

_Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore._

_Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, 'Get up! A storm is coming!_

_Tie things down before they blow away!' The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, 'No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.'_

_Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew._

_When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?_

_The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm._

*_The above story goes on to talk about trials and tribulations in life and if we do our best to understand, accept, and implement the principles learnt by us we will experience a deep sense of security, peace, and joy from within.  We will then be able to 'sleep when the wind blows.'_*

*_Love and Peace Be With You.._* 


🌺🌺🌸🌸🌼🌼🍀🍀

Being women

Every woman has a past. Some were physically abused. Some had violent parents. Some had pubertal issues. Some had sexual abuse as a child from their own family members. Some had messed up love stories. Some had been forced into sex in the name of love. Some had been drugged. Some were date raped. Some had been viciously photographed on bed. Some had been blackmailed by their ex-boyfriend. Some were in an abusive relationship. Some had menstrual problems. Some had a broken family. Some had a divorce. Some had an obesity issue. Some had financial droughts. Some had drug or alcohol addiction. Some had a few unsuccessful suicide attempts.

If you see a woman, who went through any of these but had already wiped her tears, tied her hair up, masked her sorrows with a divine smile, stood tall and strong, started walking towards her future because she still has some hope left inside her and has not given up on the concept of love that still exists in this world, do not stab her with her past. Do not confront her. Do not slap her with more abuse. Give way for her and walk beside her. May be hold her hands and walk for a while. You'll know how sweet that soul is and how strong her hopes are! You'll be amazed at how she carries herself after all her energy has been sucked out.

She need not always be only the woman next door or from a different home. She could be your own friend, your own sister, your own girlfriend, your own wife, even may be your own mother. 
Do not judge her by her past. Gift her the peaceful future that she deserves. Hold her hands against the world, which knows only to judge. Give her the love that she always yearned for...!!!