>READ THIS... LET IT REALLY SINK IN... >THEN CHOOSE HOW YOU START YOUR DAY TOMORROW... >******************************************************* >Happiness is a Choice > >Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good >mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask >him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be >twins!" > >He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, >Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side >of the situation. > >Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to >Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person >all of the time. How do you do it?" > >Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Mike, you >have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can >choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. > >"Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can >choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. > >"Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept >their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I >choose the positive side of life." > >"Yeah, right, it isn't that easy," I protested. > >"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut >away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you >react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You >choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. > >"The bottom line is: It's your choice how you live life." > >I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the tower >industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought >about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. > >Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious >accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 >hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from >the hospital with rods placed in his back. > >I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him >how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see >my scars?" > >I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his >mind as the accident took place. > >"The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my >soon-to-be-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the >ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or >I could choose to die. I chose to live." > >"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. > >Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me >I was going to be fine. > >"But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the >faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I >read, 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." > >"What did you do?" I asked. > >"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said >Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. >The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I >took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' Over their laughter, I told >them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not >dead.'" > >Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of >his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the >choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. > >You have two choices now: >1. Delete this. >2. Forward it to the people you care about. > >Author Unknown

>The True Hero of the Titanic > >John Harper was born to a pair of solid Christian parents on May 29th, >1872. It was on the last Sunday of March 1886, when he was thirteen >years old that he received Jesus as the Lord of his life. He never knew >what it was to "sow his wild oats." > >He began to preach about four years later at the ripe old age of 17 >years old by going down to the streets of his village and pouring out >his soul inearnest entreaty for men to be reconciled to God. > >As John Harper's life unfolded, one thing was apparent...he was >consumed by the word of God. When asked by various ministers what >his doctrine consisted of, he was known to reply "The Word of God!" > >After five or six years of toiling on street corners preaching the >gospel and working in the mill during the day, Harper was taken in by >Rev. E. A. Carter of Baptist Pioneer Mission in London, England. >This set Harper free to devote his whole time of energy to the work >so dear to his heart. Soon, John Harper started his own church in >September of 1896. (Now known as the Harper Memorial Church.) This >church which John Harper had started with just 25 members, had grown >to over 500 members when he left 13 years later. During this time >he had gotten married, but was shortly thereafter widowed. However >brief the marriage, God did bless John Harper with a beautiful >little girl named Nina. > >Ironically, John Harper almost drowned several times during his life. >When he was two and a half years of age, he almost drowned when he >fell into a well but was resuscitated by his mother. At the age of >Twenty-six, he was swept out to sea by a reverse current and barely >survived, and at thirty-two he faced death on a leaking ship in the >Mediterranean. Perhaps, God used these experiences to prepare this >servant for what he faced next.... > >It was the night of April 14, 1912. The RMS Titanic sailed swiftly on >the bitterly cold ocean waters heading unknowingly into the pages of >history. On board this luxurious ocean liner were many rich and famous >people. At the time of the ship's launch, it was the world's largest >man-made moveable object. > >At 11:40 p.m. on that fateful night, an iceberg scraped the ship's >starboard side, showering the decks with ice and ripping open six >watertight compartments. The sea poured in. On board the ship that >night was John Harper and his much-beloved six-year-old daughter Nina. > >According to documented reports, as soon as it was apparent that the >ship was going to sink, John Harper immediately took his daughter to a >lifeboat. It is reasonable to assume that this widowed preacher could >have easily gotten on board this boat to safety; however, it never seems >to have crossed his mind. He bent down and kissed his precious little >girl; looking into her eyes he told her that she would see him again >someday. > >The flares going off in the dark sky above reflected the tears on his face >as he turned and headed towards the crowd of desperate humanity on the >sinking ocean liner. As the rear of the huge ship began to lurch upwards, >it was reported that Harper was seen making his way up the deck yelling >"Women, children and unsaved into the lifeboats!" It was only minutes >later that the Titanic began to rumble deep within. Most people thought >it was an explosion; actually the gargantuan ship was literally breaking >in half. At this point, many people jumped off the decks and into the icy, >dark waters below. John Harper was one of these people. That night >1528 people went into the frigid waters. > >John Harper was seen swimming frantically to people in the water leading >them to Jesus before the hypothermia became fatal. Mr. Harper swam up >to one young man who had climbed up on a piece of debris. Rev. Harper >asked him between breaths, "Are you saved?" The young man replied >that he was not. Harper then tried to lead him to Christ only to have >the young man who was near shock, reply no. John Harper then took off >his life jacket and threw it to the man and said "Here then, you need >this more than I do..." and swam away to other people. A few minutes >later Harper swam back to the young man and succeeded in leading him to >salvation. > >Of the 1528 people that went into the water that night, six were rescued >by the lifeboats. One of them was this young man on the debris. Four >years later, at a survivors meeting, this young man stood up and in tears >recounted how that after John Harper had led him to Christ. Mr. Harper >had tried to swim back to help other people, yet because of the intense >cold, had grown too weak to swim. His last words before going under in >the frigid waters were "Believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus and you >will be saved." > >Does Hollywood remember this man? No. Oh well, no matter. This >servant of God did what he had to do. While other people were trying to >buy their way onto the lifeboats and selfishly trying to save their own >lives, John Harper gave up his life so that others could be saved. "Greater >love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends..." >John Harper was truly the hero of the Titanic! > >Sources for this article: "The Titanic's Last Hero" by Moody Press 1997,

> Abraham Lincoln's Road to the White House > proves you should never give up. > > 1831 Failed in business > 1832 Defeated for Legislature > 1833 Second failure in business > 1836 Suffers nervous breakdown > 1838 Defeated for Speaker > 1840 Defeated for Elector > 1843 Defeated for Congress > 1848 Defeated for Congress > 1855 Defeated for Senate > 1856 Defeated for Vice President > 1858 Defeated for Senate > 1860 Elected President of the United States

> A PSALM OF LIFE > (What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist) > > Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! > For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. > > Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; > Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. > > Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; > But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day. > > Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave, > Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave. > > In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, > Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! > > Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! > Act,--act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o'erhead! > > Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime, > And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;-- > > Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main, > A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. > > Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; > Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait. > by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow > http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/longfellow_bio.html > http://sailor.gutenberg.org/by-author/lo6.html

> THE TAPESTRY > > My life is but a weaving Between my Lord and me; > I cannot choose the colors, He worketh steadily. > > Oft times He weaveth sorrow, And I, in foolish pride, > Forget He sees the Upper And I the Underside. > > Not till the loom is silent And the shuttle cease to fly, > Shall God unroll the canvas And explain the reason why. > > The dark threads are as needful In the Weaver's skillful Hand, > As the threads of Gold and Silver In the pattern He has planned. > > Author unknown >

> BY SAVING WOMAN, RESCUERS SAVED THEMSELVES > The six firefighters would have moved faster if they hadn't stopped > to help a weary woman trying to flee. They would have moved slower > if they hadn't been able to coax her along, telling her that if she > wanted to see her children and grandchildren again, she had to keep > moving down the stairs. > > It was that precise intersection of rescuers and rescued, that > destined bit of timing, not a few seconds less or more, that let them > all survive inside a twisted stairwell of the World Trade Center when > the north tower crashed down on them. The woman and the firefighters, > in the actions they took, saved one another. > > Almost all of the stories about firefighters summoned to the World > Trade Center on Sept. 11 have been about brave men who went into the > towers and never returned. The story of six men of Ladder Company 6 > is a rare happy story. > > It is the tale of a group of men and one woman trapped for three hours > inside a sliver of stairs, lucky enough to be between the second and > fourth floors, for there were no longer any floors above them, and > beneath them was impassable debris. But they kept their wits until the > sun shone through and they climbed out. > > "There's no reason we should be alive," firefighter Matt Komorowski > said. > > Ladder Company 6 is on Canal Street in Chinatown. It usually fights > fires in nearby tenement buildings, only occasionally having to enter > the city's skyscrapers. > > On the morning of the 11th, six men were on duty -- Mike Meldrum, > Komorowski, Bill Butler, Tom Falco, Sal D'Agostino and the captain, > John Jonas. > > Five of them were sitting inside the firehouse when they heard a > loud noise. Jonas thought it was a truck plunging off the Manhattan > Bridge. > > Komorowski was out front, getting ready to go home. He and the house > watchman saw a plane slipping between the buildings. The watchman > said into the intercom, "A plane just hit the World Trade Center." > > Within minutes, the members of Ladder 6 parked their fire truck in > front of the towers. Debris rained down as they hurried into the lobby > of 1 World Trade Center. A woman whose hair and clothes had melted off > passed them. Someone was assisting her. Two bodies lay on the floor. > > Awaiting their assignment, they saw a shadow on the ground and heard > an eruption -- the second plane striking the other tower. > > Jonas said, "Oh my God, they're trying to kill us." > > They had to begin rescuing people. The men, each carrying about 100 > pounds of gear, entered Stairway B and climbed. People descending > cheered them on. > > Jonas figured the fire had probably spread as low as the 80th floor. > He had to pace his men or they would be too spent to help. Every 8 or > 10 floors they rested. > > When they reached the 27th floor, the entire building shook. The other > tower had collapsed. > > "Okay, if that building can go," the captain announced, "this building > can go. It's time to head down." > > Descending, Butler noticed a man who he thought looked Middle Eastern, > clutching a stuffed animal, possibly a lion. Police officers grabbed him, > handcuffed him, and hustled him down the stairs. The stuffed lion fell > on the ground. > > Somewhere around the 14th or 15th floor, they encountered a middle-aged > woman. Her name was Josephine Harris. She worked for the Port Authority > and had been walking down from the 73rd floor. She was exhausted. > Butler folded her arm around his neck and began moving. > > "I could hear the clock ticking in the back of my head," Jonas said. > "I'm thinking, "C'mon, c'mon. We've got to keep moving."' > > They wouldn't think of abandoning Harris. But they recognized that she > was slowing them down. Others were passing them and moving out of sight. > > Harris collapsed nearing the fourth floor. Butler asked her about her > family. She told him she had grown children and grandchildren. Butler > said, "Your grandchildren and your kids want to see you at home. You've > got to pick up the pace here." Falco lifted her from the other side. > > Jonas scoured the fourth floor for a chair to carry her in. Neither > the nearby swiveling receptionist's chair nor some couches would work. > He returned to the stairwell. > > Komorowski was last in line. He felt an incredible rush of wind. > > He urged everyone to move faster. > > And then the tower collapsed. > > "Everything starts heaving," Jonas said. "Unbelievable noise. Everything > flying around. Tremendous dust clouds. I'm thinking, "I can't believe > this is how it ends for me.' " > > Komorowski was hurled two flights and found himself in front of the > others. > > The men were spread out in the stairwell between the second and fourth > floors. Four other rescue workers were trapped as well: two > firefighters, a Port Authority police officer and a Fire Department > chief, Rich Picciotta. They had cuts and bruises. They were caked with > dust. > > Butler opened his eyes and saw something "rise out of the dust like the > blob coming out of the water in a horror movie." It was Harris. > > All 11 of them were alive. > > They assumed that just a part of the tower had collapsed. Butler thought > it was a bomb that had exploded inside the stuffed lion. > > Two of them pried open the second-floor door. All they could see was > debris. They realized that if they had been going a little faster, they > would have been below the second floor. If they had been slower, they > would have been above the fifth floor, where the stairwell was severed. > At the time of the collapse, as far as anyone knows, people higher and > lower did not live. > > The men put a harness on Harris and slid her down to the third-floor > landing, where they congregated. Jonas ordered radios and flashlights > turned off. He and the chief kept theirs on. They had to save the > batteries for the next day, or the day after. > > They sent out Maydays on the radios. No response. Wasn't anyone else > alive? > > Finally, after about 30 minutes, they got a response from a fire team. > Where were they? > > Jonas told them they were in the north tower's Stairway B. > > "I got some strange responses," he said. "Like, "Where's the north > tower?' I'm thinking, "We're in trouble, they don't know where the north > tower is.' " > > The men radioed that the crew should enter the front door of the north > tower. They did not realize that there no longer was a front door. Or a > north tower. > > They contemplated escape routes. They saw an elevator shaft. They could > lower themselves down it by rope, but if it was blocked at the bottom, > there was no getting back up. "It was an option," Jonas said. "But it > was an option for a day or two later." > > Behind a door on the third floor was a fire sprinkler room. They would > have water. > > After several hours, the smoke and dust began to clear. Then something > eerie occurred. A shaft of sunlight shone down on them. It dawned on > them that 106 floors had been above them and now there was just sky. > > They waited. Through holes in the side of the stairwell, they saw a > firefighter about 70 yards away. A rope was tied around Picciotta, > fitted with a hitch that would lock if he fell, and he inched his way > to the firefighter. The others followed. Jonas stayed with Harris until > rescuers from Ladder Company 43 got in. > > After Jonas left, they took Harris out in a rescue basket. > > Only after the firefighters emerged did they realize the ghastly > enormity of what had happened. Somewhere in the ruins was their > flattened fire truck. > > They had cornea abrasions and cuts; one man had a separated shoulder, > another a sprained foot. Today, though, two men have returned to work. > Jonas is still on medical leave; when he resumes duty, he will be a > battalion chief. > > On Wednesday evening, Josephine Harris visited the Canal Street > firehouse. The men gave her one of the ladder company's jackets, one > inscribed on the front: "Josephine, Our Guardian Angel." > > "We all thought she was going too slow," Komorowski said. "But she had > the perfect pace." > > They still can't be sure why what happened happened, only that it did. > "It was a freak of timing," Jonas said. "We know the people below us > didn't fare well. Above, to my knowledge, none got out. God gave us the > courage and strength to save her, and unknowingly, we were saving > ourselves." (http://www.lightwatcher.com/home/articles_lightbyte/firemen_save_selves.html)

> United Flight 93 > "JESUS HELP ME" - The Faith of Todd Beamer > > "I don't think we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to > have to go out on faith." > > It was the voice of Todd Beamer, the passenger -- and Wheaton > College graduate -- who said "Let's roll" as he led the charge > against the terrorists who had hijacked United Flight 93, the one, > you will remember, that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. > > The whole world knows how brave Beamer and his fellow passengers > were on September 11. But we learned more fully what buttressed that > bravery: Faith in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived, a faithful > evangelical believer. > > In an article titled "The Real Story of Flight 93," Newsweek reveals > gripping new details from the actual transcripts of the now-recovered > cockpit voice recorder. "Todd had been afraid," Newsweek relates. > "More than once, he cried out for his Savior." > > After passengers were herded to the back of the jet, Beamer called > the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. He told supervisor Lisa > Jefferson about the hijacking. The passengers were planning to jump the > terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with him. > > As Newsweek relates, Beamer kept a Lord's Prayer bookmark in his Tom > Clancy novel, but he didn't need any prompting. He began to recite the > ancient litany, and Jefferson joined him: "Our Father which art in heaven, > Hallowed be thy name." > > As they finished, Beamer added, "Jesus, help me." And then, Beamer and > his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down > through he centuries -- the prayer that David wrote in a time of great > anguish: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want . . . Yea, though I walk > through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. > > And then the famous last words: "Are you guys ready? Let's roll." > > We now know from the cockpit voice recorder that Beamer and other passengers > wrestled with the hijackers and forced the plane to crash into the ground, > killing themselves but foiling what was believed to have been the hijackers' > plan to fly Flight 93 into the Capitol or the White House. > > As Christians, we know that God can bring good out of evil. In Todd Beamer, > the world witnesses a faith that held up in the extremity of fear. A faith > that is even now comforting his widow and two young sons. > > Lisa Beamer told NBC's Dateline, "You know, in the Lord's Prayer, it asks us > to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." As Todd > prayed this prayer in the last moments of his life, in a way, Lisa said, "He > was forgiving those people for what they were doing, the most horrible thing you > could ever do to someone." > > It wasn't Todd Beamer's job to fight terrorists. He was just a passenger who > along with several others did what he didn't have to do but foiled a terrible > evil that might have been done to his country. > > As Flight 93 hurtled towards destruction, Todd Beamer could not have known > that his quiet prayers would ultimately be heard by millions -- that the story > of his last acts on earth would be a witness to the Lord he loved and served > and a lasting example of true heroism. > > Pass this inspiration on... > http://www.kingssite.com/inspirations/jesushelpme.html

> Amazing Grace: The Story of John Newton > > "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..." So begins one of the most > beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many > denominations, New Britain or "45 on the top" in Sacred Harp. The > author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who > once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace. > > Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of > a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, > he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before > the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a > man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board > intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged > and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. > > Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, > which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant > of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued > by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately > became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade. > > Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, > who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any > religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was > attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced > what he was to refer to later as his "great deliverance." He recorded > in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, > he exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us." Later in his cabin he > reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had > addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for > him. > > For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as > the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected > his will to a higher power. "Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, I > have already come; 'tis grace has bro't me safe thus far, and grace > will lead me home." He continued in the slave trade for a time after > his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care > were treated humanely. > > In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many > years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring > forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself, > teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton > was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know George > Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and > leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield's > enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to > admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton's self-education > continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew. > > He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York > for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted > in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln > and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton's church > became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached > not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767 the poet > William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends. > > Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to > other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but > also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was > to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions > of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, > published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton. > > Among Newton's contributions which are still loved and sung today are > "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds" and "Glorious Things of Thee Are > Spoken," as well as "Amazing Grace." Composed probably between 1760 and > 1770 in Olney, "Amazing Grace" was possibly one of the hymns written for > a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed > additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as "Amazing Grace" > (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from > other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas > that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition > in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton's > death. It appeared under the heading Faith's Review and Expectation, > along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and > 17. > > Amazing grace, how sweet the sound > That saved a wretch like me, > I once was lost, but now am found, > Was blind, but now I see. > > 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, > And grace my fears reliev'd; > How precious did that grace appear, > The hour I first believ'd! > > Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, > I have already come; > 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, > And grace will lead me home. > > The Lord has promis'd good to me, > His word my hope secures; > He will my shield and portion be, > As long as life endures. > > Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, > And mortal life shall cease; > I shall possess, within the veil, > A life of joy and peace. > > The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, > The sun forbear to shine; > But God, who call'd me here below, > Will be forever mine. > > The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an > early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on "Amazing Grace" > speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves > sang. > > Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also kept extensive > journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and > letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century > slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of > devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival, > reflecting the sentiments of his friend John Wesley and Methodism. > > In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St. > Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and > influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day > become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton > continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind > by that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine > turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith > that amazing grace would lead him home. > > http://www.flash.net/~gaylon/jnewton.htm A marble plaque at St. Mary Woolnoth carried the epitaph which Newton himself wrote: JOHN NEWTON, Clerk Once an infidel and libertine A servant of slaves in Africa, Was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Gospel which he had long laboured to destroy. He ministered, Near sixteen years in Olney, in Bucks, And twenty-eight years in this Church. Amazing Grace Also Visit: Inspirations - New Location

> When Truckers Pray: Excerpt from a news article: > October 25, 2002 > > ...But the day was not without poignancy, as when Ron Lantz, the > trucker who spotted the car at a rest stop in Frederick County and > called 911, started giving interviews. It turns out he moved his > vehicle to block the entrance to the rest stop, which was pretty > nervy since these guys were, according to Moose, "armed and dangerous," > and that Lantz and a bunch of other truckers and bus drivers had > recently held a meeting to pray for the apprehension of the sniper. > > Lantz said that if he gets the $500,000 reward, he'll give it to > the families of the people who were shot: "At least half of it, > anyway." > > Capping the day's activities with his long-awaited news conference, > Chief Moose introduced the team members of the sniper task force. > Federal agents Gary Bald from the FBI and Michael Bouchard of the > Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms provided some details of the > arrests and the ballistics evidence. Montgomery County Executive > Douglas Duncan praised and thanked the task force and read the names > of the 10 people slain by the sniper. > > Moose then told the gathered reporters, and TV viewers: "I would be > remiss if I don't acknowledge the cooperation that we received from > the media in conveying the many messages that we've needed in order > to bring this case to where it is tonight. . . Your professional > ethics are indeed commended in this matter." > > Were Muhammad and Malvo caught because they neglected to watch prime- > time television Wednesday night? > > The two suspects in the sniper shootings were apprehended while snoozing > at a rest stop off I-70 in the dark blue 1990 Chevy Caprice that CNN had > described in great detail shortly after 10 p.m. That description was > picked up by various TV and radio networks. The car sported New Jersey > license plate NDA-21Z, as Fox News Channel had reported since shortly > before 11 p.m. -- information that also spread like wildfire. > > Visiting the rest stop, Lantz spotted the car at 12:47 a.m., less than > two hours after the TV networks started telecasting the vehicle > information; he had heard the description on the radio. Lantz saw the car > parked in plain view and called 911. The sleeping suspects were taken > into custody about 2-1/2 hours later when members of the sniper task force > swarmed the scene. > > Presumably, had Muhammad and Malvo, who managed to evade arrest for > three weeks, watched prime-time TV that night and heard the detailed > descriptions of their vehicle on the cable news networks and on broadcast > stations during breaks in regularly scheduled programming, they would have > hightailed it -- or at least found other lodging. > > Who knows if they caught Moose's news conference, which kept getting > postponed but finally occurred at around 11:50 p.m. Wednesday. > > Moose, who had a one-way, made-for-TV conversation with the shooter since > Sunday, did not include any information about the vehicle during his news > briefing. Maybe he presumed that the killers would make sure to tune in > to see his latest message and to see whether he would recite on-air, as > demanded, "We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose." > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14437-2002Oct24.html > > Kentucky Truck Driver Answers Prayers of Nation > October 25, 2002 > > As they zigzagged across the country, dozens of > truckers radioed each other agreeing to gather at > a remote Kentucky rest stop to pray that the sniper > would soon be caught. > > Ron Lantz was one of them. > > "We prayed for the families of those killed by the sniper," Lantz > later told friend Larry Dillon. "We prayed that someone would stop > him." > > The 61-year-old trucker from Ludlow, Ky., on one of his last runs > before retirement, would be that someone. > > At about 1 a.m. Thursday, Lantz pulled his truck into a Maryland rest > stop off Interstate 70 and spotted a blue Chevrolet Caprice with New > Jersey tags in the parking lot. > > He had just heard on the radio the description of the car driven by > the man suspected of killing 10 and seriously wounding three since > Oct. 2. > > Lantz confirmed the car's description with a radio station and called > police on 911. They instructed Lantz to wait for state troopers to > arrive but to block the Chevy in with his vehicle. > > The trucker, described by a friend as "a low-key guy who gets the job > done," waited about 15 minutes until authorities arrived. > > "It was a long 15 minutes," Lantz said. > > Lantz lives with his wife in a small house in a modest neighborhood. > Still, it did not surprise Dillon that Lantz had talked about donating > the reward money to the victims' families. > > "Ron has a heart of gold," Dillon said. "He's just a humble guy." > > Lantz is the men's ministry director at the Central Church of the > Nazarene in Fort Wright, Ky., where Dillon is pastor. Dillon said Lantz > became deeply religious after the death of his son, who was in his 30s, > about five years ago. > > At church, Lantz talked about the victims' families. > > "They are going through a lot of pain," Lantz told Dillon. "It could > have been any one of us." > > Lantz's neighbor, Gerald Pence, described "a sea" of cameras in front > of the Lantz home on Thursday. > > "I could not find a parking space," Pence, 64, said. "I woke up this > morning, turned on the news and heard that the sniper had been caught. > I had no idea the person who caught him lived next door to me until I > saw all the cameras. . . He was at the right place at the right time." > > Dillon was more introspective about Lantz's involvement. > > "Ron and the other truckers just last week were praying for the > sniper's capture," Dillon said. "I believe it was a specific answer > to the prayer." > > www.orlandosentinel.com/ > > > Trucker Denies He's a Hero > October 25, 2002 > > The truck driver who first reported the sniper suspect's vehicle > to police said yesterday that he's not a hero, and that he would > share any reward money he might receive with victims. "I'd probably > take it back and give it to the people who were shot," Ron Lantz said. > "At least half of it, anyway." He told CNN that he did what anyone > should do in that situation. > > Mr. Lantz, who drives a white truck, said he pulled into the > rest stop on westbound Interstate 70 shortly before 1 a.m. yesterday, > having just heard a description of the model, make and license plate > of the car. He radioed a truck driver behind him and said "That car > looks kind of obvious." He then decided to call 911. > > Mr. Lantz said police told him they'd be there as soon as possible, > and someone else suggested he use his truck to block the entrance to > the rest stop so the suspects couldn't drive out. > > "I just sat there and waited, kept watching my mirrors," he said to > CNN. "It was all I could do." He and another trucker blocked the > entrance. About 20 minutes later, the place was swarming with FBI > and police cars. > > One television station reported that Mr. Lantz and others had > previously held a prayer vigil asking that police capture the sniper. > > http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20021025-26255364.htm > Note: > > "As for widespread reports that the assailants > might have traveled in a white van or white truck, > officers said those tips apparently had been > wrong." > http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/4362453.htm

> Space Shuttle Columbia: Three Christians Aboard > February 06, 2003: > > Message: Over the weekend Steve Green held a concert at our church > (which of course was awesome). It was very different from his normal > concerts in that the concert was dedicated to his dear friend, Rick > Husbands, the commander of the space shuttle Columbia. Steve and his > wife were very good friends with Rick and his wife Evelyn. He told us > that he met Rick many years ago at one of his concerts. They came up > to greet Steve and tell him how much they enjoyed his music. Rick's > wife whispered to Steve that Rick was an astronaut. Steve immediately > began asking him questions (he said that everyone waiting in line to > see him suddenly turned their interest to Rick). That was the > beginning of their friendship. Three years ago he was present at Rick's > first space shuttle launch where he sang at a reception for him prior > to take off. > He did the same thing 17 days ago - and then watched Rick go into > space. He told us how many of the people at the reception were > non-believers, which is not unusual among the science community. > Steve's latest CD contains a song entitled "God of Wonders" which > speaks about a "God beyond our galaxies - You are holy, holy - > The heavens declare your majesty - You are holy, holy." Rick > Husbands loved the song and Steve sang it the reception held for > him. A video was made to accompany the song. Steve Green showed > the video at his concert tonight (many kleenex needed). It showed > him with his wife, two young children, in space on his prior mission, > along with breathtaking photographs of the galaxies our God created. > This same song was also played upon Rick's wife's request as one of > the wakeup songs one morning on the space shuttle (they apparently > play a different song each morning from NASA). > Steve emailed with Rick while he was in space and he shared some of > that with us when Rick was talking about how awesome God's creation > was as he saw it out the space shuttle window. He told us how Rick > was a quiet man, but never quiet about sharing his faith in Jesus > Christ. > He told us how right before the crew boarded the space shuttle 17 > days ago, Rick stopped them all and prayed for them. NASA workers > commented that in all their years working there, they had never seen > a commander pray with his crew. He told us how at T minus 2 before > takeoff, a NASA control person commented that it was a perfect day > for launch and Rick replied "The Lord has given us a beautiful day". > These were just some of the things he told us. Steve did a concert > in Houston last week - Rick's wife Evelyn and Michael Anderson's wife > were there. Steve prayed for Rick and Michael while they were in > space and then Steve's family spent the evening having dinner with > them. > Steve told us how Rick left a recorded devotional video for each of > his 2 children for each of the 17 days he would be gone. That was 34 > videos that he took the time to record so that his children would not > miss their daily devotions they had with their dad. Steve spoke about > what a legacy Rick has left his children. None of the above has been > mentioned by the press that I have heard (big surprise). But Steve said > that he knew for sure that at least 3 crew members - Rick, Michael > Anderson and one other crew member (I'm not sure who) were committed > followers of Jesus Christ. > I just wanted to pass this along because I'm sure that many of you, > like myself, wondered the same thing - how many of these 7 people were > prepared to be in eternity. I also thought that you might want to pray > for their families. > Please feel free to pass this along to your friends and family members > who would like to know and pray. Take care and remember to hug your > children, tell them how much you love them; and think about what legacy > you are leaving them. > http://www.mandm.ws/messageboard/messages/73.htm > Note: > > "On Feb. 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia was > lost during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. > As NASA mourns the loss of seven family members, > the page will collect and distribute information > about the crew, the mission and the ongoing > investigation..." > http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/

> Obstacles of Life... > > We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, > have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't > old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're > frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly > be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our > life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, > when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we > retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right > now. If not now, when? > > Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit > this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite > quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had > seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there > was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through > first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt > to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that > these obstacles were my life." > > This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to > happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you > have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, > special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for > no one. > > So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, > until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, > until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, > until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until > Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until > your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, > until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, > until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered > up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no > better time than right now to be happy. > > Happiness is a journey, not a destination. > > Thought for the day: Work like you don't need money. Love like you've > never been hurt. And dance like no one's watching. > > http://home.earthlink.net/~zoepup/happiness.htm > (source unknown...but if you know, please tell me so i may give credit > where due)

> > > Who Am I? > > > > > > I am your constant companion. > > > I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden. > > > I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. > > > I am completely at your command. > > > > > > Half the things you do you might as well turn over to me, > > > And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. > > > I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me. > > > Show me exactly how you want something done, > > > And after a few lessons I will do it automatically. > > > > > > I am the servant of all great individuals > > > And, alas, of all failures as well. > > > Those who are great I have made great > > > Those who are failures I have made failures. > > > I am not a machine, > > > Though I work with all the precision of a machine > > > Plus the intelligence of a human being. > > > You may run me for profit or run me for ruin; > > > It makes no difference to me. > > > Take me, train me, be firm with me, > > > And I will put the world at your feet > > > Be easy with me, and I will destroy you. > > > Who am I? I am habit! > > > > > > > > > Author Unknown > > > http://www.godswork.org/inpoem107.htm

> The Old Cracked Pot > > A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which > he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other > pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long > walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. > > For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a > half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud > of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor > cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able > to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. > > After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water > bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to > you." > > Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" > > "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because > this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's > house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full > value from your efforts," the pot said. > > The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, > > "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers > along the path." > > Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun > warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it > some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half > its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. > > The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your > side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always > known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. > > > I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every > day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. > For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers > to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the > way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." > Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. > But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace > His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to > waste. > > So as we seek ways to minister together and as God calls you to > the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge > them and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of > beauty in His pathway. > > Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength and that > "In Him every one of God's promises is a Yes". > Author Unknown > http://www.eakles.com/81flawpage.htm