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.
    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 override 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.
God/Tech Support: You're welcome, I'm here anytime.
--Author Unknown

 LEADING BY SERVING

"Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves." Luke 22:26 (NIV). It has been said that you can tell a truly great person by the way he or she treats ordinary people.
    Many years ago a rider on horseback came across a squad of soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log. A corporal stood by giving lordly orders to "heave". But the log was too heavy for the squad to move.
"Why don't you help them?" asked the man on the horse addressing the corporal.
"Me? Why I'm a corporal, sir!"
Dismounting, the stranger carefully took his place with the soldiers.
"Now, all together, boys heave!" he said. And the heavy log slid right into place.
The horseman was General George Washington.
    Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please deliver me from the sin and vanity of 'riding on a high horse,' thinking that any job is below my (false) pride and dignity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 CHOICES

    Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength ... Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but her leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. ( Jeremiah17:5a,7-8)
    There are only two choices: man or God. When man is the object of our hope, the result is the curse of spiritual barrenness. " Cursed is the man who trusts in man." Contrariwise, when God is the object of our dependence, the result is great blessing . "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD , and whose hope is the LORD."
    The spiritual blessing that comes from trusting in the Lord is likened to a tree that is growing by the continual flow of a river. " For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters ." The riverside is the ideal location for developing a flourishing tree. Trusting in the Lord is the only setting in which a flourishing spiritual life can be developed. A tree that is located by the river sends out its roots to take in more and more life-giving water: " which spreads out its roots by the river." The Christian who is hoping in the Lord finds the life his inner man cherishes, and he reaches out for more of that life for which he yearns.
    When the heat of drought comes, it is a dreadful threat to plant-life (unless the plant is located beside a sufficient river). When the heat of battle or impossible circumstances arise, they can pose a fearful threat. Even a child of God is tempted to be anxious. However, if the Lord is our hope, we " will not fear when heat comes... and will not be anxious in the year of drought." Instead, we will continue in growth and spiritual fruitfulness. " Her leaf will be green, and will not... cease from yielding fruit."
    What radically different results come from trusting in God (instead of hoping in man). We receive spiritual blessing (instead of a cursing). Our spiritual life is like a luxuriant tree beside a river (instead of like a shrub in the desert). We experience the grace resources of God (instead of the flesh resources of man).

 DIRECTIONS TO HOME...

1) Make a Right onto Believeth Blvd.
2) Keep straight and go through the Green Light, which is Jesus Christ.
3) There, you must turn onto the Bridge of Faith, which is over troubled water.
4) When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn and Keep Straight.
5) You are on the King's Highway - Heaven-bound.
6) Keep going for three miles: One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Ghost.
7) Then exit off onto Grace Blvd. From there, make a right turn on Gospel Lane.
8) Keep Straight and then make another Right on Prayer Road.
9) As you go on your way, Yield Not to the traffic on Temptation Ave.
10) Also, avoid SIN STREET because it is a DEAD END.
11) Pass up Envy Drive, and Hate Avenue.
12) Also, pass Hypocrisy Street, Gossiping Lane, and Backbiting Blvd.
13) However, you have to go down Long-suffering Lane, Persecution Blvd.and Trials and Tribulations Ave. But that's all right, because...

VICTORY Street is straight ahead! AMEN!!!!! LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU!! THE WAY YOU LIVE IT IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD

THANK YOU NOW

Dear GOD:
I want to thank you for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now.
I am thanking you because I am alive.
I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

 THE THREE TREES

    Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."
    Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
    Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.
    People will see me on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
    After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
    At the second tree, the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
    When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the Woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.
    When the first tree arrived at the carpenter, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay.This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
    Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
    Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
    Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
    The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in him, God will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

--Author Unknown