CONVERSATION WITH GOD

God : Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. Who is this?

God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don’t know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.

God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can’t figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God : Well I wanted to resolve your! Fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT THE OLD CARPENTER

This is a story of an elderly carpenter who had been working for a contractor for the past 53 years. He had built many beautiful houses but now as he was getting old, he wanted to retire and lead a leisurely life with his family. He told his employer/contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “It is my gift to you.” What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points, we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently. But we cannot go back. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Are you careful enough in doing so? Are you watchful in every little thing you do? Are you building your own “house” conscientiously?

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT THE ROPE (CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN GOD)

This is a story of a mountain climber, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his climb after years of preparation.

But he wanted the glory to himself; therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming later and later. He did not prepare for camping but decided to keep on going.

Soon it got dark . . . Night fell with heaviness at such high altitude and there was zero visibility.

Everything was black, no moon, and the stars covered by clouds.

As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed in the same darkness and a terrible sensation of being suctioned by gravity.

He kept falling and in those anguishing moments’ good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought he would die. Nevertheless, he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout, “HELP ME GOD”, “HELP ME!”

All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven. “What do you want me to do?”

“SAVE ME!”

“Do you REALLY think that I can save you?”

“OF COURSE, MY GOD”

“Then CUT THE ROPE that is holding you up.”

There was another moment of silence and stillness. The climber continued to hang onto the rope, while hoping to be able to grab onto something that would enable him to climb to safety. Unable to see his true situation, the climber concluded, as most people would, that hanging onto the rope was his only hope. And so he held tighter to the rope.

The rescue team says that the next day they found, a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope TWO FEET off the ground . . .

What about you? How trusting are you in that “rope”? Why don’t you let it go?

God has great and marvelous things for you. Are you willing to trust God with the many things in life beyond your knowledge or control?

CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM.

Try to always remember: “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13.

Stories of Scattered Cotton Bits - (Slandering is worse than killing)

Once upon a time, there was a rich politician who had big influence in the society. As a politician, he had to travel often. But, because of bad influence from his friends, he started gambling. At first, the amount was small, but since he could not control his desire to win and get back what he had lost, he lost his mind, too. At the end, he lost all he had earned from his hard work. He went bankrupt. His wife and children were neglected.

No other people knew about his gambling. So in order to cover this shameful habit, he started to spread the rumour that his bankruptcy was caused by his trusted friend. He said that his best friend had betrayed him and taken away his money.
The rumour spread fast. The politician's friend could not stand it and got sick. He became very thin like a living skeleton. His whole family also suffered a lot. Every time they went out, people would look at them suspiciously. They were even isolated by the community.

Never had the politician thought that the impact of his lies would be this bad. He hurriedly visited his friend, asking for forgiveness. "My dear friend, I must admit that I was wrong, putting the blame on you and slandering you. With all my heart, I seek pardon. Is there anything I can do to make up for my evil deed?"
The other man said weakly, "I have two requests. First, please take a pillow and go to the roof of this house. Upon reaching the roof, take out a little bit of cotton from the pillow and spread it bit by bit."

Although he did not understand the reason behind this, the politician did it. After spreading all the cotton, he rushed back to the dying man.

"I have done your first request. What is your second request?"

"Now, collect the entire cotton bits you have spread earlier," said his friend with his weaker voice.

The politician was silent for a while, and then answered sadly, "I am so sorry, my friend, but I cannot grant you your wish. The cotton bits are everywhere now, it is impossible to recollect them anymore."

With his last effort, his friend answered, "It's exactly the same as the lies you have spread. The rumour will not stop just because you regret it or because you are sorry."

The politician was again silenced. "I know you are my true friend, indeed. Although I have made a blunder, you're still willing to give me a valuable lesson. I promise to do my very best to repair the damage I've made. Once again, please forgive me, my friend. And thank you for your lesson."

With tears in his eyes, the politician hugged his true friend.

The Barber Shop Spiritual Story by Unknown

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation and talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.

"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! Because people do not look to God for help is why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT SUCCESS, WEALTH & LOVE

Success, Wealth and Love ~

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.

“No”, she replied. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”

The woman went out and invited the men in.

“We do not go into a House together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!” he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.

“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).” – 1 Cor. 13:13

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1 Corinthians 13 (KJV)

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT BUTTERFLIES

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand that:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.

But the best thing is: no matter what struggles come our way, God is always near...we just have to put our faith and trust in Him.

Have a blessed day!

The Geese and the Snowstorm -- Author Unknown

There was once a man who did not believe in either the virgin birth of Christ nor the spiritual meaning behind it, and was skeptical even about God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout believer and diligently raised her children in the faith. He sometimes gave her a hard time about her belief and mocked her religious observances.

"It's all nonsense -- why would God lower himself and become a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story," he said.

One snowy day, she and the children left for church while he stayed home. After they had departed, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.

Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window... And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see anything. So he ventured outside for a better view. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese. They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been caught in the snowstorm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles. He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he opened the barn doors for them.

He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. Nevertheless, they did not notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear.

He went into the house and came back with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch on.

Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to shoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me? Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm? How can I possibly get them into the one place to save them?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just would not follow a human. He said to himself, "How can I possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I would lead them to safety."

At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his mind: If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them. Then, at last, he understood God's heart towards mankind... and he fell on his knees in the snow.

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We are like the geese…we are lost and working hard, doing everything with all of our efforts just to find a refuge...but unknowingly we are headed to destruction because we are blinded by the cares of this world. But God, who can see us where we are headed, does not want us to perish in hell so He made a way for us to be saved. He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins so whoever believes in Him will be saved and have eternal life in heaven. All we need to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and have faith in Him.

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ - John 3:16-17

‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.’ – Philippians 2:5-8

Do you know where you going after this life? Are you going to heaven or you are headed to destruction in hell? Do you believe that Jesus can save you? Do you have faith in Him?

Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.’ - John 14:6

Inspirational Stories about a Little Boy

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes…

When the boy was around two years old, one morning, the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard.

His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all.

It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died.

The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital ‘n saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS:
1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER:

The husband just said “I am with you Darling“

The husband’s totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.

If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world.

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Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know.

By this way we miss out the joy of living our BEAUTIFUL L I F E !

Happy Together Inspirational Stories of Love and Friendship

How to be happy together?

Sometimes in our busy lives the really important things can be forgotten. Other people, their habits and their needs may even feel annoying while we are pursuing our material needs.We may feel our relationships lack something. We are not as happy as we originally planned and wanted to be with the people in our lives. We may stand there, wondering what happened to our relationships.

When did our relationships become so burdensome to us? Where did the joy and happiness go? What happened to us being happy together?If all people suddenly disappeared we would understand that to be really happy - we need other people.

Being alone can be so sweet at times, and is certainly even necessary. But if there really was no one else around, we would begin to miss the company of others in no time. And just as it is with any other important thing:

We need to work on being happy together

Every relationship gives back what we give into it. And I am sure deep within we all want our relationships to be nurturing and happy.

We need a simple plan. Happy together - that´s the name of the project. We need to look at our relationships like they were plants in a garden. Each plant needs watering, care, weeding, sunshine and yes - rain too.

We need to realize that relationships are often neglected because of our own choices - we choose how we want spend our time and while we are living those other plans, a phone call from a friend may feel like an interruption. We feel annoyed even. "Why does she have to call just now?"

In our hurry we may forget how very important other people are to us - and we to them.

We all face hardships in our lives and when this happens, we sure appreciate those people who care about us and open their arms to hold us when the need arises.

These short inspirational stories are here to gently remind us of the importance of friends and family. These are positive and happy stories - with humor too. (Humor is the salt of life, I always say.) So let’s stick to our simple plan and invest a little time on our relationships too.