Hickory's Inspirational Archive

Favorite Story

I have only been clowning 1 year. The first performance I ever did was at a
nursing home with some other clowns. It didn't seem like I did very much
until I returned 10 months later. I visited with a lady who said to me
"You're Sparkles". I said yes and asked if we knew each other or had met
before. She said "It was about a year ago and it was my first day at the
nursing home. I cried and cried because I didn't want to be here. Then you
came. You made me laugh and made me glad I was here".

This is when I realized that even that small effort, by a new clown, was
worth something very special...I hope to be blessed like this again in the
future of Sparkles.

Contributed by Jerrie "Sparkles" Unholz
You may e-mail Sparkles at Jerrnie@aol.com

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

There are two days in every week we should not worry about,
two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults
and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed, forever beyond our control. All the
money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot
undo a single act we performed. Nor can we erase a single
word we've said - yesterday is gone.

The other day we shouldn't worry about is tomorrow, with its impossible.
Tomorrow is beyond our control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mask
of clouds but it will rise. And until it does, we have no stake
in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - today. Any person can fight the battles
of just one day. It is only when we add the burdens of yesterday
and tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of today that drives people mad - it is
the remorse of bitterness for something that happened yesterday,
and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live one day at a time!

Just Love

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read. Beneath the long, straggly
branches of an old willow tree. Disillusioned by life with good reason to
frown, for the world was intent on dragging me down.

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath
approached me, all tired from play. He stood right before me with his head
tilted down and said with great excitement, "Look what I found!" In his hand
was a flower, and what a pitiful sight, with its petals all worn - not enough
rain, or too little light.

Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I faked a small smile
and then shifted away. But instead of retreating he sat next to my side and placed the
flower to his nose and declared with overacted surprise, "It sure smells pretty and it's
beautiful, too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you."

The weed before me was dying or dead. Not vibrant of colors: orange, yellow
or red. But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the
flower, and replied, "Just what I need." But instead of him placing the flower in my hand,
He held it mid-air without reason or plan.

It was then that I noticed for the very first time that weed-toting boy could
not see: he was blind. I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun as I
thanked him for picking the very best one. "You're welcome," he smiled, and
then ran off to play, Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.

I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an
old willow tree. How did he know of my self-indulged plight? Perhaps from his
heart, he'd been blessed with true sight.

Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see the problem was not
with the world; the problem was me. And for all of those times I myself had been
blind, I vowed to see the beauty in life, and appreciate every second that's
mine. And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose and breathed in the
fragrance of a beautiful rose

And smiled as I watched that young boy, another weed in his hand, about to
change the life of an unsuspecting old man.

Author Unknown

A.S.A.P.

After reading this, you might think differently
about the acronym, "A.S.A.P."!!

There's work to do, deadlines to meet,
You've got no time to spare!
Yet as you hurry and scurry,
Always Say A Prayer.

In the midst of family chaos,
"quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest, and
Always Say A Prayer.

It may seem like your worries
are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
Always Say A Prayer.

God knows how stressful life is.
He wants to ease our cares.
He will respond A.S.A.P. if we
ALWAYS - SAY - A - PRAYER!

Contributed by Yaa Yaa the Clown
You can e-mail Yaa Yaa at kewchew@aol.com
or visit her on the WWW at http://members.aol.com/kewchew/

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak...

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, 'What you got there son? ' "

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. I'm gonna tease'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing -they ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this
story......

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.

"Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!"

"How much?" He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood."

Jesus said, "DONE!"

Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

1. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the
right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will
know how to be grateful for that gift.

2. Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, and the romance
in a relationship and find out that you still care for that person.

3. When the door of happiness closes, another opens but often times we
look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has
been opened for us.

4. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing
with never saying a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the
best conversation you've ever had.

5. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's
also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

6. There are things you'd love to hear that you would never hear from
the person who you would like to hear from, but don't be so deaf as
not to hear it from the one who says it from their heart.

7. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth, in the
end it fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it
takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

8. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you
want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all
the things you want to do.

9. A careless word may kindle strife, a cruel word may wreck a life, a
timely word may level stress, a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything,
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have
searched and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the
importance of people who have touched their lives.

12. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.

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