The Parents Who Drugged Us

A friend asked me, Why didn't we have a drug problem when we were growing up?' I replied that I had a drug problem when I was young:
- I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
- I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
- I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
- I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
- I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the pastor, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
- I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
- I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds.
- I was drug to the homes of neighbors to help mow the yard, repair the clothesline, and if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, my dad would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin, and if today's children had this kind of drug problem, this world would be a better place. God bless the parents who drugged us !

Lessons Learned

I've learned....

That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned...

That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned .....

That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned...

That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. (Oh so true!)

I've learned....

That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned...

That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned...

That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in any other way.

I've learned...

That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned...

That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned...

That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned...

That life is like a roll of toilet paper.

The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned...

That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned...

That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned..

That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....

That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned...

That when you plan to get even with someone,

you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned...

That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned...

That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am..

I've learned...

That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned...

That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned...

That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned...

That opportunities are never lost someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned...

That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned...

That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned...

That one should keep his words both soft and tender, becausetomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned...

That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....

That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, you're hooked for life.

I've learned...

That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it

I've learned...

That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.


Amazing Kites

Amazing people deserve to be celebrated. The guy flying the 3 kites is in his 80s and he's from Canada.

He comes to the Washington State International Kite Festival every year.

His skin is like leather as he normally flies with his shirt off.

He is deaf, so when he flies, we hold our hands up and wave them for applause.

He flies 2 with his hands and the 3rd one is attached to his waist.

You must watch to the end to see the amazing landing of that last kite. Click the video here:https://www.youtube.com/embed/nr9KrqNlIg

The Gift of Time

The last wishes of Alexander the Great...
On his death bed, Alexander summoned his army generals and told them his three ultimate
wishes:
1. The best doctors should carry his coffin.
2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery.
3. His hands should be let loose, so they hang outside the coffin for all to see.

One of his generals who was surprised by these unusual requests asked Alexander to explain.
Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:
1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal.
2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth, will stay on earth.
3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is:
TIME.
We do not take to our grave any material wealth. TIME is our most precious treasure because it is LIMITED. We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time.
When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back. Our time is our life!
The best present that you can give to your family and friends is your TIME.
May you be granted plenty of TIME, to share with all.

20 Additional Uses of Vinegar

1. Clear dirt off PCs and electronics

Your computer, printer, fax machine, and other home office gear will work better if you keep them clean and dust-free. Turn off your machine and wash with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wash with a cloth, not a spray bottle. You can use cotton swabs for tight spaces.

2. Get rid of smoke odor

If you've recently burned a steak or can't get rid of that cigarette smell, remove the lingering smoky odor by placing a shallow bowl about three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the scent is strongest. To get the smell out of the air, moisten a cloth and wave it in the air.

3. Wipe away mildew

Use undiluted vinegar to wipe away heavy mildew stains. Mix it with water to clean light mildew stains. You can even use a vinegar mist in a spray bottle to prevent mildew stains from forming in rugs and carpets.

4. Clean chrome and stainless steel

To clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures around your home, apply a light misting of undiluted white vinegar from a recycled spray bottle. Buff with a soft cloth to bring out the brightness.

5. Unglue stickers, decals, and price tags

Don't you hate when you peel a sticker off of your new furniture or product and it's still sticky from the glue? Worry no more! Use full-strength white vinegar and gently scrape it off the product. Use an expired credit card to scrape. You can also uses this solution to get glue off of glass, plastic and walls.

6. Brighten up brickwork

Have dingy bricks around your fireplace? Use 1 cup of white vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of warm water to scrub the area. Your bricks will be looking shiny and nice!

7. Revitalize wood paneling

You can also use vinegar to shine up your dull wood paneling. Mix 1 pint warm water with 4 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let the mixture soak for a few minutes and then polish.

8. Remove carpet stains

You can lift out many stains from your carpet with vinegar:
For light stains, mix 2 tablespoons salt with cup white vinegar. Rub into the stain, let try and vacuum.
For tough, ground-in dirt and other stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and rub it into the stain using a dry cloth. Let it set for two days, then vacuum.

9. Keep car windows frost-free

Vinegar is a great way to keep frost from forming on your car windows. Spray the outside of your windows with a mixture of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water.

10. Refresh your refrigerator

Have you ever smelled a refrigerator that hasn't been used for a long time? It's gross! You can freshen up your fridge with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. You can use the solution to wash the interior and exterior of the fridge.

11. Steam-clean your microwave

Fill a bowl with 1 cup water and cup vinegar. Set the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the bowl cools down, use the solution to wipe off the walls of the microwave.

12. Disinfect cutting boards

Use full-strength white vinegar to clean wood cutting boards or butcher block countertops. This is a great alternative to dishwasher detergent because it can weaken surfaces and wood fiber. It disinfects against E.coli, salmonella and staphylococcus.

13. Clean china, crystal, and glassware

Have soap spots and dingy spots on your dishes after you put them in the dishwasher? Simply add a few ounces of vinegar to your dishwasher. It will prevent those hard-water stains from showing up.

14. Trap fruit flies

Did you bring home fruit flies from the market? You can make traps for them that can be used anywhere around your house by filling an old jar about halfway with apple cider vinegar. Punch a few holes in the lid, screw it back on, and you're good to go.

15. Tenderize and purify meats and seafood

Soaking a lean or inexpensive cut of red meat in a couple of cups of vinegar breaks down tough fibers to make it more tender. You can also use vinegar to tenderize seafood steaks. Let the meat or fish soak in full-strength vinegar overnight.

16. Control your dandruff

Can't wear those black shirts because your dandruff will show? Vinegar to the rescue! After shampooing, rinse your hair with a mixture of 2 cups apple cider vinegar and 2 cups cold water.

17. Ease sunburn and itching

Gently rub a sunburn or rash with cotton balls or a soft cloth soaked with white or cider vinegar. Try to apply this before the sunburn begins to sting. You can use this to help treat insect bites or rashes from poison ivy or poison oak.

18. Clean your eyeglasses

When it's more difficult to see with your glasses on than it is with them off, it's a clear indication that they're in need of a good cleaning. Applying a few drops of white vinegar to your glass lenses and wiping them with a soft cloth will easily remove dirt, sweat, and fingerprints, and leave them spotless. Don't use vinegar on plastic lenses, however

19. Stop reds from running

Unless you have a fondness for pink-tinted clothing, take one simple precaution to prevent red washable clothes from ruining your wash loads. Soak your new clothes in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You'll never have to worry about running colors again! This also works with other bright colors that you worry might run.

20. Speed germination of flower seed

You can get woody seeds, such as moonflower, passionflower, morning glory, and gourds, off to a healthier start by lightly rubbing them between a couple of sheets of fine sandpaper-and soaking them overnight in a solution of 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 pint warm water. Next morning, remove the seeds from the solution, rinse them off, and plant them.

Why They Don't Sing in Church Anymore

Looking around the church last Sunday I noticed that the majority weren't singing. And most of those who were singing barely moved their lips. The only voices I actually heard were those on stage with microphones.

That's been the case for years nowin churches large and small. What used to be congregational singing has become congregational staring.

Even when the chipper worship leader in contemporary churches bounds on stage and predictably beckons everyone to stand and worship, the people compliantly obey the stand command, but then they turn into mutemannequins.

What's behind this phenomenon? What happened to the bygone sounds of sanctuaries overflowingwith fervent, harmonizing voices from the pews, singing out with a passion that could be heard down the street? I suspect it's a number of unfortunate factors.

Spectator set-up.Increasingly, the church has constructed the worship service as a spectator event. Everyone expects the people on stage to perform while thepew-sittersfulfill the expectation of any good audiencefile in, be still, be quiet, don't question, don't contribute (except to the offering plate), and watch the spotlightedmusicians deliver their well-rehearsed concerts.

Professionalism.It seems it's paramount for church music to be more professional than participatory. The people in the pews know they pale in comparison to the loud voices at the microphones. Quality is worshipped. Sothe worshippers balk at defiling the quality with theircrude crooning. It's better tojust fake it with a little lip syncing.

Blare.The musicians' volume is cranked up so high that congregantscan't hear their own voices, or the voices of those around them, even if they would sing. So they don't sing. What would it add? The overwhelming, amplified sound blares from big speakers, obliterating any chance for the soundof robust congregational singing.

Music choice.Sometimes people refrain from singing because the songs are unfamiliar, hard to sing, or just cheesy. Sometimes worship leaders choose a song that may thematically tie into the day's sermon topic, but it's unsingable. Sometimes worship leaders choose lame songs written by their favorite songwritersthemselves.

I admit. I've joined the majority. I've stopped singing. I'm not happy about it. I know I should overcome these barriers and just praise the Lord with my very unprofessional vocalizations. But I long for an environment that evokes my real heartfelt vocal participation.

Le Petit Chef

The French restaurant Le Petit Chef came up with an original way to entertain guests while waiting for their order - using a projector on the ceiling, and the
animation on the table, there is a small chef who appears on your plate. Enjoy this fascinating video:
http://bit.ly/1BgTo6a

Are You Curious?

If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it.
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. I've gone for 30 years now,' he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons, but for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them so, I think I'm wasting my time and the priests are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.'

This started a real controversy in the Letters to the Editor' column. Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!' When you are DOWN to nothing....God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!
Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
All right, now that you're done reading, send it on!!! I think everyone should read this!! When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, Jesus, could you get that for me...... while I send this message to your children?

IF YOU CANNOT SEE GOD IN ALL, YOU CANNOT SEE GOD AT ALL!

B. I. B. L. E. BIBLE simply means: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!

Taking Over Europe

This should be a wake up call for America as well. This is straight from the horse's mouth, not a commentary:

www.cbn.com/tv/embedplayer.aspx?bcid=1509282970001

Bricklayer's Accident Report

Possibly the funniest story in a long while. This is a bricklayer's accident report, which was printed in the newsletter of the Australian equivalent of the Workers' Compensation board.

This is a true story. Had this guy died, he'd have received a Darwin Award for sure.......

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block 3 of the accident report form. I put poor planning as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had some bricks left over which, when weighed later were found to be slightly in excess of 500lbs.

Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the side of the building on the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow descent of the bricks.

You will note in Block 11 of the accident report form that I weigh 135 lbs. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel, which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explained the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collar bone, as listed in section 3 of the accident report form.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of beginning to experience pain.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, that barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight.

As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent, down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and several lacerations of my legs and lower body.

Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin its journey back down onto me. This explains the two broken legs.

I hope this answers your inquiry.

Kevin Roben
Democratic Brick Layers Union Local #1169
Wagga Glass & Aluminium Pty Ltd
PO Box 5004 ( 11 Dobney Ave )
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650