Christian the Lion

MSNBC background stories about Christian the Lion:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25797678/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25929574/

YouTube story:
Christian the Lion - the full story (in HQ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

baby lion hug:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y90H77aPt0

Ten-Part complete movie about Christian the Lion:
part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzxms9-qQZ4&feature=related
etc.
(search for "Christian, The Lion Who Thought He Was People-FULL"

He went around doing good

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and … he went around doing good … because God was with him" (Acts 10:38).

He said, "I have compassion on these people … I do not want to send them away hungry" (Matt. 15:32).

Jesus said, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36).

"When you did it to the least of these brothers of mine you did it to me."

"Do you want to get well?" (John 5:1-15).

"But whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant" (Matt. 20:26).

Respect

"If you have respect,
you give respect,
you get respect."

~ Matt

Success vs. Happiness

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get."

~ Dale Carnegie

Responsibilities of Democracy

One the responsibilities of living in a democracy is to participate in the decision-making process. The hardest thing for most of us is to participate in a way that is reconciling toward the wisdom of God rather than polarizing toward hatred and contempt for others.

We can't just avoid our responsibility and do nothing, for as Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." Also, as Albert Einstein said, "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

Jesus Christ calls us to be a blessing to the world by bringing good news and reconciling everyone to the love of God.

Refusing to become discouraged

quotes from A.G.

"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."
~ Bertie Forbes

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you,
then they fight you, then you win."
~ Mahatma Gandhi

It will not hurt them

Later [Jesus] appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

~ Mark 16:14-18

A Poor Man with Money

"A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money."

~ W.C. Fields

Voice Therapy - Steam, Salt, Oregano, and Peppermint

"Three weeks into the tour, I lost my voice. ... I called a vocal coach and got instructions.
'Hourly, sit at a kettle and breathe in the steam. Then add salt to the water and snort it. Put drops of oil of oregano on your tongue. Apply peppermint oil to your upper lip.'
(Caution: Over-application of peppermint oil leads to a condition I remember now as the moustache of fire.)"

Here's to All the Losers
Why defeat at the hands of God is magnificent.
Carolyn Arends | posted 7/16/2008 09:02AM
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/
2008/july/20.50.html

Evil

THE EVIL WROUGHT by those who intend evil is negligible. The greater evil is wrought by those who intend good, and are convinced they know how to bring it about; and the greater their power to bring it about, the greater the evil they achieve while trying to do it.
~ Allen Wheelis, The Way We Are

TO TRIUMPH FULLY evil needs two victories, not one. The first victory happens when an evil deed is perpetrated; the second victory, when evil is returned. After the first victory, evil would die if the second victory did not infuse it with new life.
~ Miroslav Volf, The End of Memory

Quotations

I HAVE DISCOVERED that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber.
~ Blaise Pascal, Pensées

IT IS NO EASY TASK to walk this earth and find peace. Inside of us, it would seem, something is at odds with the very rhythm of things and we are forever restless, dissatisfied, frustrated, and aching. We are so overcharged with desire that it is hard to come to simple rest. Desire is always stronger than satisfaction.
~ Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing

ONE OF the uncomfortable facts about ourselves is that we all must live in a way that meets our own approval.
~ Paul Holmer, Making Christian Sense

DOES DISCOVERING who you are awaken a kind of inner unrest? … If you started accusing yourself of all that is in you, would your nights and days be long enough?
~ Brother Roger of Taizé, Essential Writings

A MAN'S AT ODDS to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can know his heart, but he don't want to. Best not to look in there.
~ Cormac Mccarthy, Blood Meridian

ONE OF the strangest things that people say is, "I'm a good person." I am always amazed when people claim to know that about themselves. … History demonstrates, repeatedly, that if enough people begin to define themselves as "good" in contrast to others who are "bad," those others come to be seen as less than human.
~ Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace

THE POWER of temptation is not in its appeal to our baser instincts; if that were the case, it would be natural to be repulsed by it. The power of temptation is in its appeal to our idealism.
~ Helmut Thielicke, Our Heavenly Father

THE EVIL WROUGHT by those who intend evil is negligible. The greater evil is wrought by those who intend good, and are convinced they know how to bring it about; and the greater their power to bring it about, the greater the evil they achieve while trying to do it.
~ Allen Wheelis, The Way We Are

TO TRIUMPH FULLY evil needs two victories, not one. The first victory happens when an evil deed is perpetrated; the second victory, when evil is returned. After the first victory, evil would die if the second victory did not infuse it with new life.
~ Miroslav Volf, The End of Memory

PERFECT LOVE may cast out fear, but fear is remarkably potent in casting out love.
~ P. D. James, Time to Be in Earnest

SATAN DOES NOT here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall/Temptation

The Pleasures of Each Day

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.

~ John Burroughs

THE LORD'S PRAYER (Laodicean Version)

Our Grandfather, who art in heaven, special be thy name,
Thy candy come,
thy will be changed, on earth as in our wishful thinking.
Give us this day our daily cake;
And wink at our trespasses,
as we wink at ourselves when we trespass against others;
And lead us not into commitment,
but deliver us from dedication.
For thine is the lap, and the chuckle,
and the pat on the head, forever and ever.
You bet!

~ From Ecunet

The Sinful City

A minister prayed to God in turmoil over the sinful state of his city, "Lord, most of the people in the city have no interest in following you. And the rest of us are having a hard time holding on!"
God heard the prayer and sent down an angel to investigate the claim. Later the angel reported back that, indeed, things were much worse that the minister indicated. 99% of the city was more sinful than Sodom and Gomorrah, and the remaining faithful 1% were struggling.
God considered what to do for those who were staying true to the faith. Finally God decided to send a letter of encouragement to the faithful few.
And do you know what the letter said?





Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like to read my copy?

~ Author Unknown

Another Man's Wife

Roger Matthews tells the following story:

We were traveling one summer in the Pocono Mountains and, like a good Presbyterian family, attended church while we were on vacation.

One lazy Sunday we found our way to a little Methodist Church. It was a hot day and the folks were nearly "out" in the pews. The preacher was preaching on and on until, all of a sudden, he said, "The best years of my life have been spent in the arms of another man's wife." The congregation let out a gasp, came to immediate attention, and the dozing deacon in the back row dropped his hymnbook. Then the preacher said, "It was my mother." The congregation tittered a little and managed to follow along as the sermon concluded.

I filed this trick away in my memory; a great way to get the congregation's attention back when it has been lost.

Sure enough, the next summer, on a lazy Sunday, I was preaching and the flies were buzzing around and the ushers were sinking lower and lower in their seats in the back row until I could hardly see them. Then I remembered our experience in the Pocono Mountains, and I said in a booming voice, "The best years of my life have been spent in the arms of another man's wife."

Sure enough, I had their attention. One of the ushers in the back row sat up so fast he hit his head on the back of the pew in front of him. I had them. But you know something, I forgot what came next. All I could think to say was, "And for the life of me, I can't remember her name."

~ Thanks to Mary Wald for sending this story my way

Near Perfect Attendance

A pious man who had reached the age of 105 suddenly stopped going to synagogue. Alarmed by the old fellow's absence after so many years of faithful attendance the rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent health, so the rabbi asked, "How come after all these years we don't see you at services anymore?"

The old man looked around and lowered his voice. I'll tell you, Rabbi," he whispered. "When I got to be 90 I expected God to take me any day. But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So I figured that God is very busy and must have forgotten about me ..... and I don't want to remind Him."

~ Courtesy of Christiaan A. Brugman, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC

It is no secret what God can do

Friday Morning Story: "The Rest of the Story"

Back in the 40's and 50's there was a well known radio host, actor, and song writer in Hollywood named Carl Stuart Hamblen who was noted for his drinking, womanizing, and partying. He was first a hit on radio but appeared in films with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne and wrote several chart-topping country songs including one of his bigger hits: "I won't go hunting with you Jake, but I'll go chasing women."

One day, along came a young preacher holding a tent revival. Hamblen had him on his radio show. In order to gather more material for his show, Hamblen showed up at one of the revival meetings. Early in the service the preacher announced,

"There is one man in this audience who is a big fake."

There were probably others who thought the same thing, but Hamblen was convinced that he was the one the preacher was talking about. He didn't do anything that night, but still the words continued to haunt him. A couple of nights later he showed up drunk at the preacher's hotel door around 2 AM demanding that the preacher pray for him! But the preacher refused, saying,

"This is between you and God and I'm not going to get in the middle of it.:"

But he did invite Stuart in and they talked until about 5 AM at which point Stuart dropped to his knees and with tears, cried out to God.

But that is not the end of the story. Stuart quit drinking, quit chasing women, quit everything that was "fun." Soon he began to lose favor with the Hollywood crowd.

He was ultimately fired by the radio station when he refused to accept a beer company as a sponsor. He tried writing a couple of 'Christian' songs but the only one that had much success was 'This Old House', written for his friend Rosemary Clooney.

As he continued to struggle, a long time friend named John took him aside and told him,

"All your troubles started when you 'got religion,' was it worth it all?'

Stuart answered simply, 'Yes.'

Then his friend asked, 'You liked your booze so much, don't you ever miss it?'

And his answer was, 'No.'

John then said, 'I don't understand how you could give it up so easily.'

And Stuart's response was, 'It's no big secret. All things are possible with God.'

To this John said, 'That's a catchy phrase. You should write a song about it.'

He gave John's comment serious thought and proceeded to compose the song, 'It Is No Secret.'

'It is no secret what God can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open, He'll welcome you.
It is no secret, what God can do.'

And here is. . .the rest of the story. The friend was John Wayne.

And the young preacher who refused to pray for Stuart Hamblen? That was Billy Graham.

~ Author Unknown ~

For an investigation of this story, see:
http://www.snopes.com/religion/hamblen.asp

The king and the pawn

"Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back into the same box."

~ Italian Proverb

Help!

If You Need Help, Ask God.
If You Don't, Thank God!

~ Author Unknown

The redeemed are happier than the elect

"No one truly knows happiness who has not suffered, and the redeemed are happier than the elect."

~ Henri Frederic Amiel

(from grandmother)

Heroism and Courage

"Heroism is the brilliant triumph of the soul over the flesh, that is to say over fear:
fear of poverty, of suffering, of calumny, of illness, of loneliness and of death.
There is no real piety without heroism. It is the glorious concentration of courage."

~ Henri Frederic Amiel

(from grandmother)

Fewest number of coins to produce exact change

What is the fewest number of coins you can carry that allows you to produce any exact change?
The answer is 10 coins, 3 Quarters, 1 dime, 2 nickel, and 4 pennies. With this combination you can produce any number between 1-99 cents.
3 Quarters
1 dime
2 nickels
4 pennies

An alternative answer would be 6 coins, 3 Quarters, 2 dimes and 1 nickel. In this example you will range most change between 5-95 cents, in 5 cents increments. In this example you will never receive more than 4 cents in change back.

Seven US coin version: four pennies, two nickels, one dime.
Then, you give only as much change as is over the nearest multiple of quarters.
So, for example, if the charge is $12.38 you pay $20.13, and get $7.75
Your change back will always be in multiples of 25.

http://www.instructables.com/id/
Always-have-Correct-Change-in-your-wallet/

Kindness

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read."

~ Mark Twain

Patriotism

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

~ Mark Twain