When the good Lord was creating Mothers ... He was into His sixth day of "overtime."  An angel appeared and said, "You're sure doing a lot of fiddling around on this one!"

God nodded and said, "Yes, but have you read the specs on this order?  

 

She has to be completely washable, but not made of plastic.

 

She has to have 180 moveable parts ... all replaceable.

 

She'll have to run on black coffee and leftovers.

 

She'll need a lap that disappears when she stands up.

 

She'll have to have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped finger to a disappointed love affair.  

 

She will also need six pairs of hands."

 

The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands? ... No way!"

 

"It is not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord.  "It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

 

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

 

The Lord nodded and said, "One pair is to see through closed doors when she asks, "What are you kids doing in there?" ... although she'll already know.

 

She needs another pair here in the back of her head that can see the things she shouldn't have to, but things that she has to know.

 

And of course, she'll need a set of eyes here in front that will be able to look at a child when he goofs up.  Those eyes will be able to say, "I understand and I love you," without even muttering a word."

 

Lord," said the angel touching God's sleeve gently, "You had better go to bed.   Tomorrow ..."

 

"I can't," interrupted the Lord.  "I'm so close now to creating something that is so much like myself, that I just can't stop.

 

I've already created one who can ... heal herself when she is sick, feed a family of six on on

 

Slowly, the angel circled and carefully looked at the model of a Mother.  "It's too soft!" the angel sighed.

 

"But she's tough!" said the Lord excitedly.  "You cannot imagine what this mother will be able to do or the things that she will be able to endure."

 

The angel asked, "Can she think?"

 

"Not only can she think, but she will be able to reason and compromise," said the Creator.

 

Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the mother.  "There's a leak in her!" the angel pronounced.  "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

 

"That's not a leak," said the Lord.  "It's a tear!"

 

"What's it for?" asked the angel.

 

The Lord said, "It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, love and pride."

 

"Wow!  You're a genius!" said the angel.

 

The Lord looked somber and said, "But I didn't put it there!"

 

From Erma Bombeck

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. " Is this the long way?" she asked.

 

And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.

 

So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

 

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."

 

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."

 

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness.

Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength." And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth --- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness.

 

And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

 

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old...and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

 

And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey.

And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said," You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her.

 

And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence." Your Mother is always with you She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; And she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you... Not time, not space... not even death!

---

Grandpa Chuck

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded.

 

"I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

 

 Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the  reason and,  taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57-cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting, which read,  "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to  Sunday school."

For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousand dollars. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents.

Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00 a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars,  so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday School time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57-cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Along side of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of  Diamonds." -  a true story.

Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents!

---

Grandpa Chuck

Story:

 

In a Church publication some time ago an article was written about finding God's Money. The writer was a school teacher who as he came across money laying on the ground saved it in a jar. This money was then placed in the poor box at Christmas time.

 

How it works is simple. As you find money laying on the ground you save it as "God's Money". This project could be done as a family, group, or by yourself. Once each year give this money to a Church or favorite charity.

 

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Grandpa Chuck

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here,

ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, and guide. Amen.

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Nine Choirs Of Angels

Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations (Dominions),

Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.

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Angels's Names

The Bible names only three angels, all archangels:

Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael.

 

Michael: Hebrew for "One who is like the Lord." In tradition, Michael is God's general, the leader of the heavenly armies against the forces of evil. Michael is most often depicted holding a sword and scales.

 

Gabriel: The messager of the Annunciation, name means "hero or God" or "strength of God". It is said that it will be Gabriel whose trumpet signals the end of the world and Christ's second comming. Gabriel is often shown holding a lily.

 

Raphael: Name means "God heals". He usually appears in icons and other painting holding a pilgrim's walking stick and gourd.

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Fallen Angels

Lucifer: The angel who refused to serve the Lord and who led a army of like-minded rebels against the loyal angels, captained by Michael. Lucifer and his army were driven out of heaven and into exile in hell, from whence they attack human souls, tempting them away from the love of their Creator.

These fallen angels are real, personal beings of pure spirit, and that they were created good, and became evil through their own doing, and that they are now damned for eternity.

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Prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel

St. Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the

wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do you, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into

hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who wonder through the world seeking the

ruin of souls. Amen.

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Angels Today

There is a rash of number of stories detailing angelic encounters and rescues experienced by ordinary people. The possibility of heavenly intervention in worldly events is strongly supported. For many, the frequency of these incidents speaks for itself.

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The Guardian

An angel was assigned to you,

On the day you were born;

It watched you as a slumbering babe,

And kept you safe from harm.

It followed every childhood step,

Then guarded you as you grew;

The dangers that you never saw,

God and your angel knew.

For the Father gave the angel,

A mission to fulfill;

To keep and guard you every step,

Was the Heavenly Father's will.

To gently guide you on your path,

To stand and do battle for you;

A constant, holy companion,

Until life's journey is through.

An angel was assigned to you,

On the day that you were born;

A Guardian sent to walk with you,

To keep you safe from harm.

Used with the permission of the author: Allison Chambers Coxsey

c1995 oet@redriverok.com">poet@redriverok.com

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Grandpa Chuck