WITH LIFE'S OWN MAGIC: TIMELESS BEAUTY

Saturday, April 4, 2015

TIMELESS BEAUTY

Royalty attracts me more than anything,

Dignity attracts me even more:

Beauty of a storefront might be ravishing,

But the real splendor's through the door.

Fascinating light comes from the finery,

Beauty speaks like nothing else to eye;

But the true wine’s from a bitter winery:

Broken, bruised and kept in dark to thrive.

Bruised the life of Christ who chose not to leave:

Darkest time, no finery, no glee…

But the light of God in those who believe –

Timeless beauty made on Calvary.

04/04/2015

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THE FINE LINE

Have you ever thought how fine the line between beautiful and ugly is? One line or the lack of it can turn beautiful into ugly and vise versa! A certain angle, a spot, a shade of color...magically takes our breath away or inexplicably makes us to shrivel in disgust. I have a simple story to tell on this matter. For a few years, I had been trying to rearrange one of my bouquet compositions in the living room, with no success. I've always loved the separate pieces of it; but that magic of beauty, that takes a breath away, was missing. Yesterday, though, my struggle came to an end: accidentally, I pushed the vase too hard and shook the bouquet. When it loosened up in the vase, it finally took the form of a breathtaking beauty. How weird is that?! And how do you call this law? The law of "Get your hands off the mystery, you sweet control freak!?!" Anyway, no need to be afraid of some shaking - a beauty just may come out of it!

CARROTS, EGGS OR COFFEE

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. "What's the point, grandmother?" Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her granddaughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?

GREAT MOMENTS

A sweet lesson on patience written by a NYC Taxi driver:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.' 'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly... 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice. The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. 'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

ADAM AND EVE; A TRUE STORY

Have you ever found yourself wondering in the memories of your past, asking yourself how did you get there?That happens to me sometimes. This night, for example, I found my thoughts in the place many years ago, when a very unusual woman came to our church in St-Petersburg, Russia. Her name was… (No names!). She had a beautiful face, but it bore a sign of a deep suffering. She was also limping when she walked. Her story was the kind that stayed with us forever, once we heard it. It was a story how she met... ah, here it is, read on! For a few years before that tragic day, she was married to a handsome Marine Officer and had four beautiful daughters with him. Her life was full of romance and happiness: she had no needs. She didn't give much thought to anything heavenly, because the earth was so good to her. She didn’t think that over sudden it could be changed. To make a long story short, one day she went to visit a friend who lived in countryside, and when crossing railways, got caught into the switching rails. She was trying to release her foot, screaming for help. A train was approaching fast, but the place was deserted, and no one was around to help. Suddenly, a big man appeared, saw the coming train, grabbed a huge piece of tarpaulin, covered her body with it, and pushed her to the ground with a great force that broke her leg but saved her life. When she gained back her consciousness, she was lying on a hospital bed, surrounded by women. When they saw her awaken, a whisper of surprise went around the room, growing into a loud chatter. Suddenly she felt like her soul was departing from her; she screamed in agony: “I’m dying! Please, pray for me!” The women started to pray. The next time she gained her consciousness, she was moved to a separate room and her nurse staid by her side day and night beyond the call of duty. One day, the man who saved her life came to visit. To her great surprise, his name was Adam and her nurse’s name was Eve. Those names were so very uncommon for Russia at that time; that one would consider it a pure miracle that they just happened to be in the same place, at the same time. That co-incidence moved our heroine to think about God for the first time in her life. That tragedy converted her into a passionate believer. Later on, when she was able to go back home, she found that her husband decided to divorce her. She was left alone with her four daughters and no provision for life. Meanwhile, her husband’s shipmates, knowing her well, and adoring her for who she was, decided to organize long-term help for her and her children. One day soon, when she was talking on the phone with one of them, she suddenly realized that she was talking to her future husband. When he came to bring her food and supplies, he admitted, that when he spoke with her on the phone, he knew immediately that he was talking to his future wife. So, there she was, leaning on God; losing the part of her earth to gain the part of her heaven.

WITH LIFE'S OWN MAGIC

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Saturday, April 4, 2015

TIMELESS BEAUTY

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KNEELING DOWN BUT LOOKING UP

NO POINT

KINDNESS

FREEDOM IS

WHAT PERSONALITY?

VENUS on my Birthday

DO RELATIONSHIPS DIE?

OXYGEN

TIME IS PRICELESS

GREAT ATTITUDE

WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

TO DIE FOR

My perfect world, just the way I like it!

DON'T TRAVEL BACKWARDS!