Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Four Boyfriends

Once upon a time there was this girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the 4th boyfriend the most and adored him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

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

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

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

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, she asked the 4th boyfriend, '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 boyfriend, and he walked away without another word. His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the 3rd boyfriend, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd boyfriend.. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!'

Her heart sank and turned cold.



She then asked the 2nd boyfriend , '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 boyfriend. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.

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

The girl looked up, and there was his first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'



In truth, you have 4 boyfriends in your lives:

Your 4th boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you
lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your 3rd boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth. When you die, it will all go to others.

Your 2nd boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.

And your 1st boyfriend is your Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world..

However, your Soul is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that
will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.


Pass this on to someone you care about - I just did.

NB!

Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've
decided to see beyond the imperfections

Friday, December 21, 2007

McQuaid Christmas 2007


Here is a lovely electronic Christmas card from my son's school. There are some nice pictures of the chapel and other Christmas themes. While you may not know the kids, I think the message transends all.

Hope you all enjoy it!



P.S. The picture is of St. Xavier, the patron saint of the middle schoolers. He was one of the early followers of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Real Meaning of Christmas..

I posted this on the Future Doc Wilson blog last Christmas. When I revisted it, to see if I could update it, I decided it was fine as is, so, read on...

There is a compliation CD that has a song entitled, "The Real Meaning of Christmas". I heard it this morning and it was a nice reminder as we finish up the last minute shopping, holiday eating, festivities and post Christmas Boxing Day, that we should take a few minutes to rest, reflect and be greatful for all we have. We forget and overlook our many blessings--so, give someone a call, send one of those sloppy sentimental email cards and practice random acts of kindness.

One Kind Word

One kind word can warm three winter months.
--Japanese proverb

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.


Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God..
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

This is a Thomas Kinkade painting. It’s rumored to carry a miracle!

They say if you pass this on, you will receive a miracle.
I am passing this on because I thought it was really pretty,
and besides, who couldn’t use a miracle?!

Idaho Examiner
Common Sense News
www.idahoexaminer.com

God Bless You



In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.

One Rainy Afternoon

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets
of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the
roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen,
spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m
thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some
fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain!” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield
wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond.

“That’s really good, Aspen.”

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take
this revelation? So I asked… “Do you notice how the rain
keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”

Aspen didn’t hesitate one moment with her answer:

“We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”



I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
Isn’t it distressing to know that when you forward this message
you will not send it to many on your address list because
you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think
of us than what God thinks of us.

The Rain-Thomas Kinkade


If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

This is a Thomas Kinkade painting. It's rumored to carry a miracle!
They say if you pass this on, you will receive a miracle. I am passing this on because I thought it was really pretty, and besides, who couldn't use a miracle?!

Installing Love

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are Running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't Know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
I loved this!
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, 'Error - Program not run on external components.' What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the 'My Heart' directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before We hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Roses for a Special Person

Roses for a Special Person


You are receiving these roses because you are a special person! Each rose symbolizes a special wish from me to you:

One Rose for Long Friendship


One Rose for Unconditional Love


One Rose For Financial Wealth


One for Everlasting Happiness


One for Success


One for Knowledge


One for Beauty, inner and outer


One for Family


One for Honesty


And the last one for a long and healthy life in Jesus' name



Success











To laugh often and much
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation,
of Honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false frends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To Know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson