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Thought Provoking Stories

 

I am a mother of three, ages 14, 12, and 3, and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be really easy.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one winter morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around to see what was happening, I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor, homeless men. As I looked down at the short man, close to me, I saw he was smiling uncertainly. His blue eyes were full of light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue eyed man was his only hope. I held the tears back as the young woman at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss," because that was all they could afford. If they wanted to sit in the restaurant for a while and warm up, they had to buy something.


I held the tears back as the young woman at the counter asked him what they wanted

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were watching me. I smiled and asked the young woman behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed man's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned patted his hand and said, "I was not the one who did this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

Tears came to my eyes as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the ability that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we believe in God. That day showed me the pure light of God's love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of my course, with this story in hand. I turned in my project and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and asked, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings, and being part of God, share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn - unconditional acceptance.

-- Authors Unknown

 

An old carpenter about to retire was telling his boss about his plans to stop working with construction and enjoy life with his wife and kids. He was so excited about retiring that he wasn't even looking forward to the paycheck of that month. All he wanted was to retire.

The boss was upset about losing a good worker and as a personal favor asked the man to work on the construction of one last house. The old carpenter didn't want to accept it but he couldn't deny his boss one last favour. So he took the job, but it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. He just wanted to get it finished and over with. Consequently he was careless and ended up using bad quality material in the construction of the house. It was a sad way to finish such an excellent career with so many years of total dedication.

When the house was done his boss was there to inspect it. He gave the key of the house to the old carpenter and said "This is your house. It's a gift for you after so many years of hard work."

The carpenter was shocked "What a shame!" he thought. If he had known that it was his house he would have done things differently.

Remember that you are the carpenter of your own life. You construct your life a little bit every day. You hit a nail here, build a wall there and so on. Life is a do-it-yourself project. Your acts and choices now will build the house you will live in later on. So do it right.

 

The boy was very young. It was his first experience with kite flying. His father helped him, and after several attempts the kite was in the air. The boy ran and let out more string, and soon the kite was flying high. The little boy was so excited; the kite was beautiful. Eventually there was no more string left to allow the kite to go higher. The boy said to his father, "Daddy, let's cut the string and let the kite go; I want to see it go higher and higher."

His father said, "Son, the kite won't go higher if we cut the string."

"Yes, it will," responded the little boy. "The string is holding the kite down; I can feel it." The father handed a pocketknife to his son. The boy cut the string. In a matter of seconds the kite was out of control. It darted here and there and finally landed in a broken heap. That was difficult for the boy to understand. He felt certain the string was holding the kite down.

The commandments and laws of God are like the kite string. They lead us and guide us upward. Obedience to these laws gives us peace, hope, and direction.

-- Patricia P Pinegar (Primary President), General Conference Nov 1999

 

These priceless gifts are not seasonal. We can give them all year long. As we give them, we will find that the giving enriches us as well as the recipients. They are worth a million dollars but they don't cost a cent.

  1. The Gift of Listening
  • But you really have to listen. No interrupting, no planning your response. Just listening.
  1. The Gift of Affection
  • Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate your love for family and friends.
  1. The Gift of Laughter
  • Clip cartoons. Share great articles and funny stories. E-mail especially good ones to people you know are feeling blue. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
  1. The Gift of A Written Note
  • It can be a simple "I love you" or "Thanks for your help." A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
  1. The Gift of A Compliment
  • A simple and sincere "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
  1. The Gift of A Favour
  • Every day, go out of your way to do something kind. Try it on your way to work, or wherever you go today.
  1. The Gift of Solitude
  • There are times when we want only to be left alone. Be sensitive to other people's feelings, and give the gift of solitude to others.
  1. The Gift of Good Cheer
  • "The easiest way to feel good is to make others feel good"

-- Authors Unknown

 

There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper, she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the girl didn't lose her temper at all. She told her mother about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The days passed and the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails were gone. The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.

She said, "You have done well, my daughter, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.

-- Author Unknown

 

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes, it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.

 

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church." "We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth." "We can't even keep them from conservative values." "But we can do something else. WE can keep them from forming an intimate abiding experience with Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ.

This is what I want you to do angels. Distract them from Gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" Shouted the angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered shams to occupy their minds." He answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work and the husband to work six or seven days a week. Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear that still small voice. "Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, the VCR, and their CD's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ". "Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade any other moments with order catalogues, every kind of newsletter and promotional offerings, free products, services and false hopes." "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, and concerts instead." "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion." "Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes that they have no time to seek the power from Christ. Soon they will be working their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end. And all the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy, and rush here and there. Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.

   

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question.

"Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as the children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child."

Then, he told the following story:

Shay and I walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?"

Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play.

The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps closer to lob the ball in softly so Shay would at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game.

Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first. Run to first."

Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag.

Instead, the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!" Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for the team.

"That day," said Shay's father softly, with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."

-- Author Unknown

   

As Mrs Thompson stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie.

Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last.

However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class".

By now, Mrs Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself.

She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.

Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs Thompson, you looked just like my Mom today and you smelled just like she used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further.

The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer - the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married.

He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr Stoddard whispered in Mrs Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

-- Authors Unknown

   
  • A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?"
  • "Because I'm a woman", she told him.
  • "I don't understand", he said.
  • His mother just hugged him and said, "And you never will."
  • Later the little boy asked his father,
  • "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"
  • "All women sometimes cry for no reason", was all his father could say.
  • The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
  • Finally he asked God, "Why do women cry so easily?"
  • God said, "When I made the woman she had to be special.
  • I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.
  • I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth, and the rejection that many times comes from her children.
  • I gave her a toughness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining .
  • I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
  • I gave her strength to support her husband through his faults, and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.
  • I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never purposely hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
  • Finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers to use whenever it is needed.
  • You see, the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she has, or the way she styles her hair.
  • The beauty of a woman must be seen in her heart - the place where love resides."
 

Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for dinner the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and filled the kettle ready for the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the drier, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mum then creamed her face, put on moisturiser, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks in the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one still up, doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, and straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular, "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here?

  • Wonder why women live longer?
  • Because we are strong ... made for the long haul!
 

By the time God created woman, He was into His sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and asked, "Why are you spending so much time on this creation?"

The Lord answered, "Have you seen the requirements sheet for her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, have a lap that can hold two children at one time and that disappears when she stands up, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements for this creation. "Six pairs of hands! No way!" said the angel.

The Lord replied, "Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"

"And that's just on the standard model?" the angel asked.

The Lord nodded in agreement. "Yes, one pair of eyes are to see through a closed door as she asks her children what they are doing, even though she already knows."

"Another pair in the back of her head are to see what she needs to know even though no-one thinks she can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."

The angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day, wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But I can't!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick, AND can feed a large family on a pound of mince, and can even persuade a nine year old boy to have a shower."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops! It looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

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

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

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything, for women are truly amazing."

-- Authors Unknown

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