Reaping What is Sown

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over his business.  Instead of simply choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all of the young executives in his company together for a meeting.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO to run my business.  I have decided to choose one of you."  The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued.  "I am going to give each one of you a single plant seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.  I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

                                            

One man named Jim was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story.  She helped him get a pot, soil, and compost and he planted the seed.  Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

                                            

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.  Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.  By now others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant or even any signs of life in his pot and he began to feel like a failure.

                                            

Six months went by and still there was nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.  Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues; however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil.  He so wanted the seed to grow.

                                            

A year finally went by and the day came when the CEO called for the big meeting, and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.  Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.  But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach; it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.  He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives.  They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.  Jim simply put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed.  A few felt sorry for him.

                                            

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

                                            

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.  "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"  All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.  Jim was embarrassed and terrified.  He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure!  Maybe he will even have me fired!"

                                            

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, so Jim told him the whole story.  The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!  His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it.  Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

                                            

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

                                            

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.  All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

                                            

   * If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

                                            

   * If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

                                            

   * If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

                                            

   * If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

                                            

   * If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

                                            

   * If you plant hard work, you will reap success

                                            

   * If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

                                            

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

H/T:  To my friend Paul Dubney who passed away over a year ago now.  You are missed!

The Parable of 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 carvings 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 carpenters, 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 for which he had prayed.

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 did not 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. Indeed, if you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they had wished and prayed for, 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 with His unfailing sight and love, His ways for us are always best.



H/T Flamminio

The Parable of the Pencil

Every once in awhile something unique happens by and catches my attention which causes me to slow down for a moment and take notice of it. The following artistry is just such a thing. An old navy buddy of mine sent me an email the other day that contained some pictures of the remarkable work done by this particular artist named Dalton Ghetti. His patience and steady hands must truly be remarkable.

Further, using Mr. Ghetti’s beautiful work as inspiration, there is indeed a parable here from which we can all learn.

A wise pencil maker told a brand new shiny pencil before he placed it in the box alongside other shiny new pencils that there were five very important lessons that it should consider and follow in order to have a fulfilling life.

The first lesson was that everything you do in life will always leave a mark.


The second lesson was that you can go back and correct the mistakes you make.

The next lesson was that what is truly important is what is inside of you.

Continuing on, the fourth lesson was that in life you will undergo many painful sharpenings, which will only serve to make you better.


The final and perhaps the most important lesson was this: To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

May the sharpenings in your life only make you better for having endured them. May you be aware and grateful of the wonderful innate things that make you special, and may you be open to always being guided by the hand of God as He uses you in your life to create a masterpiece.

H/T: Rex

The Logic of God and Science

A professor of science & philosophy begins his school year with a lecture to his students.

The professor pauses before his class, 'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.'

He then asks one of his new students to stand. 'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'  

'Yes sir,' the student says.  

'So you believe in God?'  

'Absolutely.'  

'Is God good?'  

'Sure! God's good.'  

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'  

'Yes.'  

'Are you good or evil?'  

'The Bible says I'm evil.'  

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!'

He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you...Let's say there's a sick person and you can cure him. Would you help him? Would you try?'  

'Yes sir, I would.'  

'So you are good...!'  

'I wouldn't say that.'  

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.  Most of us would if we could, but God doesn't.'  

The student does not answer, so the professor continues.

'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good, Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'  

The student remains silent.  

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.  'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'  

'Er...yes,' the student says.  

'Is Satan good?'  

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'  

'Then where does Satan come from?'  

The student falters. 'From God.'  

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'  

'Yes, sir.'  

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God made everything, correct?'  

'Yes.'  

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, and since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'  

Again, the student has no answer.

'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'  

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'  

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.  'Who created them?'

There is still no answer.

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?' 

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.' 

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?' 

'No sir. I've never seen Him.' 

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?' 

'No, sir, I have not.' 

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus?  Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?' 

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.' 

'Yet you still believe in him?' 

'Yes.' 

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?' 

'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.' 

At the back of the room another student stands quietly for a moment before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?' 

'Yes,' the professor replies. 'There's heat.' 

'And is there such a thing as cold?' 

'Yes, son, there's cold too.' 

'No sir, there isn't.' 

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet.

The student begins to explain.

'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest: 458 degrees.' 

'Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.  Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.  Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.' 

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer. 

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?' 

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not some thing. It is the absence of some thing. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?' 

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?' 

'My point is this professor; your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must also be flawed.' 

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?' 

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God.  You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?' 

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.' 

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?' 

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

The student continues; 'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now, not a scientist, but a preacher?' 

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?' 

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.  Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I guess you'll have to take them on faith.' 

'So, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' 

Uncertain, the professor responds; 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday.  It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.' 

The student replies, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself.  Evil is simply the absence of God.  It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.' 

The professor sat down.

A Parable For Our Students Regarding Wealth Redistribution

I have seen this following story before and thought it was an excellent parable in explaining the unfairness of wealth redistribution to our "enlightened, liberal students".

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch conservative, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs.

The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the conservative side of the fence."

H/T: Carrie

The Barber and the Community

      One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.        

      Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.        

      Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and left the shop. The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.        

      And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it. 

Parable of the Spoons

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in to the room beyond the door.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and plump, laughing, and talking.

The holy man said, "My Lord, I do not understand."

"It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."

Republican Parable

Even though I am no longer a Republican, since they are little better than the Democrats these days, I found the lesson behind this little story amusing:

I recently asked my friends' little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up.

She said she wanted to be President some day.

Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?"

She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people." Her parents beamed with pride. "Wow... what a worthy goal," I told her, "But you don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.. "

She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?"

I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

Her parents still aren't speaking to me... :)