Jokes?

I think the pictures did not come through, but it is still good so I am sending it anyway Church Smiles There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments," answered the lady. "Somebody has well said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "good Lord, it's morning." There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets." While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust." A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business." People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?" The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay, said his father. "So, son, what does the Bible mean?" "That's easy, Daddy. It stands for 'Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.'" Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt." Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about. He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to, ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play. "Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances." During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up." At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star Spangled Banner." And that is how the substitute became the regular organist! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Give me a sense of humor, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humor out of life, And pass it on to other folk.

Make up what you want to do, then do it, or you'll never win!!

Considering your dharma, you should not vacillate. For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil. The warrior confronted with such a war should be pleased, Arjuna, for it comes as an open gate to heaven. But if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor.

-Bhagavad Gita 2:31-33

Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Eknath Easwaran, copyright 1985. Reprinted with permission from Nilgiri Press, www.nilgiri.org.

Somethings to think about.

Just a neat 'lil prayer

The 5-Finger Prayer

This is so neat. I had never heard this before...
This is beautiful - and  it is surely
worth making the 5 finger prayer
a part of our lives.   1.
Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your
prayers by praying for those closest to you.
They are the easiest to remember. To pray for
our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said,
a "sweet duty."

2.
The next finger is the pointing finger.
Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.
This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.
They need support and wisdom in pointing others in
the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3.
The next finger is the tallest finger. It
reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the
president, military, leaders in business and industry,
and administrators. These people shape our
nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.

4.
The fourth finger is our ring finger.
Surprising to many is the fact that this is
our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. 
It should remind us to pray for those
who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need
your prayers day and night. You cannot pray
too much for them.

5.
And lastly comes our little finger;
the smallest finger of all which is where we should
place ourselves in relation to God and others.
As the Bible says, "The least shall be the
greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind
you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed
for the other four groups, your own needs will be put
into proper perspective and you will
be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

If you decide to send this to a friend,
you might brighten someone's day!
Pass this on to someone special... I did.
Best regards   [Author Unknown]

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Overworked

From my Austalian buddy,

OVERWORKED!!

Why am I so tired???
For a couple years I've been blaming it on lack of sleep, not enough
sunshine, too much pressure from my job, earwax build-up, poor blood or
anything else I could think of. But now I found out the real reason.
I'm tired because I'm overworked.
Here's why:
The population of this country is 20 million. [Australia!]
9 million are retired.
That leaves 11 million to do the work.
There are 7 million in school, which leaves 4 million to do the work.
Of this there are 2 million employed by the federal government, leaving
2 million to do the work.
0.5 Million are in the armed forces preoccupied with finding Osama bin
Laden which leaves 1.5 million to do the work.
Take from the total the 1 million people who work for state and local
governments, and that leaves 500,000 people to do the work.
At any given time there are 280,000 people in hospitals, leaving 220,000
people to do the work.
Now, there are 219,998 people in prisons.
That leaves just two people to do the work.
You and me.
And there you are sitting on your backside, at your computer, reading jokes.

Nice, real nice!  :o)

Merry

Patron Saint of Labor Day

Today's Inspirational Story The Patron Saint of Labor Day
Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer believed that work was love in action.
By John Rollefson

Ninety-nine years ago a brilliant young theologian published his four-hundred-page study of how scholars of the preceding century and a half had variously attempted to understand Jesus. More often than not, he found, they had discovered in their research into the "real Jesus" a mirror image of themselves and their own ideals. The young scholar concluded his study with these memorable words: "As one unknown and nameless He comes to us, just as on the shores of the lake he approached those men who knew not who he was. His words are the same: 'Follow me!' and He puts us to the tasks which He has to carry out in our age."

This thirty-one-year-old professor and principal of the theological seminary in Strasbourg, an ordained Lutheran pastor in the Evangelical Church in Alsace, already the holder of degrees in the fields of theology and philosophy, had just the previous year published in his spare time a well-received study in French of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Moreover, he was himself a celebrated organist and recitalist, as well as an expert on organ building.

The previous fall, this philosopher, theologian, pastor, musicologist, and musician had begun medical studies leading to yet a third doctorate. Nearly a decade earlier, at his home in his father's parsonage in a little Alsatian village during the summer vacation of his twenty-first year, he had suddenly been struck by the thought of how incomprehensible it was that he should be allowed to lead such a happy, carefree student's life while around him so many people were contending with care and suffering.

One brilliant summer morning, he later wrote in his autobiography, "there came to me as I awoke, the thought that I must not accept this happiness as a matter of course, but must give something in return for it .... While the birds were singing outside, I settled with myself before I got up, that I would consider myself justified in living till I was thirty for science and art, in order to devote myself from that time forward to the direct service of humanity." He concluded: "Now the answer was found. In addition to the outward, I now had inward happiness."

And so, at age thirty, the young double doctor resolved to become a doctor of medicine, as he explained it, in order "that I might be able to work without having to talk. For years I had been giving myself out in words and it was with joy that I had followed the calling of theological teacher and of preacher. But this new form of activity I could not represent to myself as being talking about the religion of love, but only as an actual putting it into practice."

Albert Schweitzer long has served for me as a supreme exemplar of Christian vocation, and I've often invoked him as a saint of the church peculiarly appropriate to remember on the Sunday of our secular Labor Day holiday, when our nation pauses to honor the work we do as a part of our life's calling. Coincidentally, Schweitzer's death day commemoration falls on September 4, which is usually the Sunday closest to Labor Day, and this year happens to fall on the fortieth anniversary of his death in 1965.

Coming as it does on the heels of the recent Live 8 concerts held to raise the consciousness of the world's population and its leaders regarding aid to Africa, Schweitzer's call and commitment to Africa as his special vocation deserves to be remembered and celebrated. He was, some claimed, patriarchal and autocratic, and even a bit primitive in the medical practice he personally conducted among the Gabonese people for the last two-thirds of his ninety-one years of life. His theology and reverence-for-life ethic were too spacious for some, especially many of his fellow Lutherans.

But for his work for humanity and indeed all of life, Schweitzer was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize more than a decade before his death. He deserves to be remembered as an exemplar of the vocation of service to others for our day.

Page 1

Reprinted with permission from Sightings. John Rollefson is Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Master in west Los Angeles, near UCLA.

Hope you all had a Happy Labor Day, and a good day today, too.  Also, I hope no one put off by my "religious" article today.  I just thought it was good and wanted to share it.

Love to all!

Merry

The Sourthern Crisis--

   This is not to say that what has happened to the people isn't the FIRST & Most important concern presently.  (In my opinion,) The most heartbreaking thing is the poor people and the elderly, children, and people that are medically sick or retarded or have other serious mental problems

But it is still VERY nice to read about those that take care of pets that would otherwise die.  What is amazing about this whole critical situation, is the way people will come up with inventive ways to do hard  work, almost miracles for the sake of our four legged friends.   (I guess it should include birds, and animals like that as well.)   I hope many of your enjoy reading this.  I DID!!   God Bless America!  When one part of the USA has a crisis, other parts unite and give great parts of themselves-sometimes it's finacially, sometimes it's people who actually go to these poor areas.  I think we live in a unique and special country!  Never let it be said we don't take care of our own. Isn't this an amazing country?  Glory be to all who have given in any way! Merry

VOLUNTEERS MOBILIZE
by Keri Kirby

      The Shreveport Times, August 29, 2005: Sitting safely in his
Shreveport home Sunday, Chris Riser flipped from channel to channel
listening to news of the disastrous and deadly potential of Hurricane Katrina.
      "They were saying the shelters will not take pets and they're turning
people away with pets," he said. "I was ready to rent a U-Haul and head to
New Orleans to save the pets that cannot go to the shelter."
      A pet owner himself, Riser said he could not imagine the additional
anguish of being forced to leave a pet behind.
      "It makes me feel very sad," he said. "If a hurricane hit here and I
had a choice of leaving my home and being safe and letting my animals die,
I'd stay with my children, which are my animals. I'd have to die with them.
I would not go to a shelter that would not take my children."
      Knowing that, Shreveport animal lovers are doing their part to
accommodate both two-and four-legged creatures displaced by the storm. The
Krewe of Barkus & Meoux, along with the Humane Society and several local
veterinarians organized a tent to shelter animals of those evacuees being
housed at the American Red Cross shelter in the LSUS Health and Physical
Education Building.
      "This is the first time we've had an animal shelter available to us,"
said Michelle Davidson with the northwest Louisiana chapter of the Red
Cross. "They've been growing just as fast as we are." And that's a relief
for both Davidson and the people she and Red Cross volunteers want to help.
      "That is often an obstacle for people to overcome when it comes to
getting them to evacuate," she said. "Unfortunately, we can't accept
animals (in Red Cross shelters)." Having their pets so close by has been a
great comfort for many evacuees, Davidson said.
      "They have appreciated the opportunity," she said. "A lot go out and
play with the animals to make them feel a little better and I think it
probably soothes them as much as the animals."
      Nancy Bardwell with the Northwest Louisiana Humane Society said the
community support of the evacuees and their pets has been tremendous.
      "We can accommodate a lot more than what's here," she said of the 30
animals including a parrot and a canary they were housing Sunday evening.
"If we run over, there are local animal shelters and horse stables that are
ready to step in and help. We've gotten so many donations, we can hold out
as long as we need to."
      The Caddo Commission's animal services division sent several cages to
the shelter at LSUS and also opened up its doors to help house evacuees'
pets. The parish began accepting dogs and cats free of charge about noon
Sunday and would continue to do so until they filled up the 60 vacancies
they had available, said Anita Mills, spokeswoman for the division.
      "The last time there was a major hurricane there were about 350
animals that came into the area. They all did not come in to the shelter"
Mills said. "But they're expecting many more than that this time because of
the severity of this storm."
___________________________________________
__________________________________________

This is a  message (ated 8/30/2005 8:56:18 PM Central Standard Time,) from  moderator@petwarmers.com    God's blessings on all of you who have helped in any way in this situation.

And Love to all your journal folks.

(Still another side of ) Merry

To all of us lucky ones out of harms way, "Today is enough just as it is."  (Yearly daily calendar, author unknown.)