134 Sermon Illustrations on Life

"All I Need to Know about Life

I Learned From a Snowman.... "

--It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy.

--Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.

--Wearing white is always appropriate.

--Winter is the best of the four seasons.

--It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.

--There's nothing better than a foul weather friend.

--We're all made up of mostly water.

--You know you've made it when they write a song about you.

--Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!

--Avoid yellow snow.

--Don't get too much sun.

--It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.

--It's fun to hang out in your front yard.

--Always put your best foot forward.

--There's no stopping you once you're on a roll.

"Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep."

Colleen Spencer

Assistant to the Executive Director of Administrative Services

University of Maine at Augusta

"Some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant." -- Unknown

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." -- Gene Hill

"In dog years, I'm dead." -- Unknown

"Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear." -- Dave Barry

"Outside of a dog, a book is probably man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

-- Groucho Marx

"To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs." -- Aldous Huxley

"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down."

-- Robert Benchley

"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives." -- Sue Murphy

"I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves."

-- August Strindberg

"No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold

his own in the conversation." -- Fran Lebowitz

"Ever consider what they must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the

most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!"

-- Anne Tyler

"I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult." -- Rita Rudner

"My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That's almost $7.00 in dog

money." -- Joe Weinstein

"If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons." -- James Thurber

"You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets." -- Nora Ephron

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful." -- Ann Landers

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." -- Robert A. Heinlein

"In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him." -- Dereke Bruce, Taipei, Taiwan

"Of all the things I miss from veterinary practice, puppy breath is one of the most fond memories!"

-- Dr. Tom Cat

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." -- Ben Williams

"When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem." -- Edward Abbey

"Cat's motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it." -- Unknown

"Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail." -- Unknown

"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." -- Christopher Morley

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -- Josh Billings

"Man is a dog's idea of what God should be." -- Holbrook Jackson

"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." -- Andrew A. Rooney

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

-- Unknown

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man." -- Mark Twain

"Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane." -- Smiley Blanton

"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that

basically dogs think humans are nuts." -- John Steinbeck

submitted by... Paul Nolte

An old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon shows Calvin and his imaginary friend Hobbes, a stuffed tiger, coasting downhill in a toy wagon. Hobbes is pushing while Calvin shouts, “Faster! Faster!” Hobbes says, “The turbo is pooped,” and jumps into the wagon behind Calvin. Calvin says, “That’s okay, gravity just kicked in.” And you can see the wagon racing down a hill on a sidewalk.

The incline gets steeper as Calvin asks, “Ever notice how decisions make chain reactions?” And the tiger asks, “How so?”

“Well, each decision we make determines the range of choices we’ll face next.” In this panel there is more dust and we are looking at the two in the wagon past some rocks and trees. They are no longer on a sidewalk.

Calvin continues, “Take this fork in the road for instance. Which way should we go? Arbitrarily, I choose left.” He looks back at Hobbes with his hair standing up straight and shouts while pointing ahead: “Now, as a direct result of that decision, we’re faced with another choice: Should we jump this ledge or ride along the side of it? If we hadn’t turned left at the fork, this new choice would never have come up.”

In the next panel we’re looking up at the bottom of the wagon, and Hobbes is looking over the side and saying, “I note, with some dismay, you’ve chosen to jump the ledge.” Calvin says, “Right. And THAT decision will give us NEW choices.”

Now Calvin is in the air over the front of the wagon, which is tipping down, and Hobbes is hanging on to the back of the wagon with his legs in the air as he says, “Like, should we bail out or die in the landing?” With his arms out as if flying, Calvin says, “Exactly. Our first decision created a chain reaction of decisions. Let’s jump.”

Now lying in a puddle with just his head and feet out of the water, Calvin says: “See? If you don’t make each decision carefully, you never know WHERE you’ll end up. That’s an important lesson we should learn sometime.” And Hobbes, shaking water off his head, says, “I wish we could talk about these things without the visual aids.”

________

C. William Mosley

A PSALM OF LIFE

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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 heart, 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.

May the road rise up to meet you;

May the wind be always at your back;

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields;

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(An Old Irish Blessing).

LEARNING

I have learned

that you cannot make someone love you.

All you can do is

be someone who can be loved.

The rest is up to them.

I have learned

that no matter how much I care,

some people just don't care back.

I have learned

that it takes years to build up trust,

and only seconds to destroy it.

I have learned

that it's not what you have in your life

but who you have in your life that counts.

I have learned

that you can get by on charm

for about fifteen minutes.

After that, you'd better know something.

I have learned

that you shouldn't compare

yourself to the best others can do.

but to the best you can do.

I have learned

that it's not what happens to people

that's important. It's what they do about it.

I have learned

that you can do something in an instant

that will give you heartache for life.

I have learned

that no matter how thin you slice it,

there are always two sides.

I have learned

that it's taking me a long time

to become the person I want to be.

I have learned

that it's a lot easier

to react than it is to think.

I have learned

that you should always leave

loved ones with loving words.

It may be the last time you see them.

I have learned

that you can keep going

long after you think you can't.

I have learned

that we are responsible for what we do,

no matter how we feel.

I have learned

that either you control your attitude

or it controls you.

I have learned

that regardless of how hot and steamy

a relationship is at first,

the passion fades and there had better

be something else to take its place.

I have learned

that heroes are the people

who do what has to be done

when it needs to be done,

regardless of the consequences.

I have learned

that learning to forgive takes practice.

I have learned

that there are people who love you dearly,

but just don't know how to show it.

I have learned

that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I have learned

that my best friend and I can do anything

or nothing and have the best time.

I have learned

that sometimes the people you expect

to kick you when you're down

will be the ones to help you get back up.

I have learned

that sometimes when I'm angry

I have the right to be angry,

but that doesn't give me

the right to be cruel.

I have learned

that true friendship continues to grow,

even over the longest distance.

Same goes for true love.

I have learned

that just because someone doesn't

love you the way you want them to

doesn't mean they don't love you

with all they have.

I have learned

that maturity has more to do with

what types of experiences you've had

and what you've learned from them

and less to do with how many

birthdays you've celebrated.

I have learned

that you should never tell a child

their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.

Few things are more humiliating, and

what a tragedy it would if they believed it.

I have learned

that your family won't always

be there for you. It may seem funny,

but people you aren't related to

can take care of you and love you

and teach you to trust people again.

Families aren't biological.

I have learned

that no matter how good a friend is,

they're going to hurt you

every once in a while

and you must forgive them for that.

I have learned

that it isn't always enough

to be forgiven by others.

Sometimes you have to learn

to forgive yourself.

I have learned

that no matter how bad

your heart is broken

the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I have learned

that our background and circumstances

may have influenced who we are,

but we are responsible for who we become.

I have learned

that sometimes when my friends fight,

I'm forced to choose sides

even when I don't want to.

I have learned

that just because two people argue,

it doesn't mean they don't love each other

And just because they don't argue,

it doesn't mean they do.

I have learned

that sometimes you have to put

the individual ahead of their actions.

I have learned

that we don't have to change friends

if we understand that friends change.

I have learned

that you shouldn't be so

eager to find out a secret.

It could change your life forever.

I have learned

that two people can look

at the exact same thing

and see something totally different.

I have learned

that no matter how you try to protect

your children, they will eventually get

hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I have learned

that there are many ways of falling

and staying in love.

I have learned

that no matter the consequences,

those who are honest with themselves

get farther in life.

I have learned

that no matter how many friends you have,

if you are their pillar you will feel lonely

and lost at the times you need them most.

I have learned

that your life can be changed

in a matter of hours

by people who don't even know you.

I have learned

that even when you think

you have no more to give,

when a friend cries out to you,

you will find the strength to help.

I have learned

that writing, as well as talking,

can ease emotional pains.

I have learned

that the paradigm we live in

is not all that is offered to us.

I have learned

that credentials on the wall

do not make you a decent human being.

I have learned

that the people you care most about

in life are taken from you too soon.

I have learned

that although the word "love"

can have many different meanings,

it loses value when overly used.

I have learned

that it's hard to determine

where to draw the line

between being nice and

not hurting people's feelings

and standing up for what you believe.

I have learned

that life is what you make it,

not what it makes you.

You can let problems become boulders in your path,

blocking your way, or you can use them as stepping stones

to a brighter tomorrow. The choice is yours.

Lies and betrayal will eat at your soul and bring you down.

The best thing to do when disappointment enters your life is

to pick up the pieces and go forwards.

Yesterday is the past,

Tomorrow is the future.

Today is a gift;

That is why it's called "the present".

Enjoy the gift of life and share it with others!

work like you don't need the money

love like you've never been hurt

dance like there's nobody watching

~anonymous~

Robert A. Chesebrough, the Brooklyn chemist who invented vaseline, believed he had the

answer for those who wanted to live a long life. He said the answer was to swallow one

spoonful of vaseline each day. He died at the age of 96 in 1933 . . . probably choked.

I counted dollars, while God counted crosses.

I counted gains, while He counted losses.

I counted my worth, my things gained in store,

And He sized me up by the scars that I bore.

I counted honors and sought degrees,

He counted the hours that I spent on my knees.

I never knew until one day by the grave,

How vain are the things we spend life to save.

"That man is a success who has lived well,

Laughed often and loved much;

Who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children;

Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

Who leaves the world better than he found it,

Whether by a perfect poem or a rescued soul;

Who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it;

Who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."

--- Robert Louis Stevenson

The Big Picture

(Editor’s Note: The mosaic mentioned in this article can be viewed at: http://photomosaic.com/images/LIFE544x663.jpg)

Rob Silvers brought a new art form to Life -- the 60th anniversary edition of the magazine, to be exact.

While a grad student at MIT’s Media Lab, Silvers developed what he now calls “photomosaics”. In 1986, he used his own specially-designed computer program to fit together a collage of 60 Life covers to form a larger image of Marilyn Monroe. Though the original pictures of the covers were reduced to one centimetre wide, they were not altered in any way. Silvers and his computer merely arranged them by tone, brightness and texture to form the overall effect.

With each of his portraits of famous people, Silvers tries to use “tiles” or smaller pictures that represent the subject’s life. His rendering of Abraham Lincoln is made entirely of Civil War photographs; the one of Madonna -- “The Material Girl” -- is composed of material goods; and the portrait of billionaire Bill Gates is a mosaic of money from around the world.

If the artist sought to define you with a collage of dominant images from your life, what would be on those tiles? Or, looking at things from the other viewpoint, if he took a collection of photographs from your day-to-day situation, what larger image would they reveal? What defines you? And would you want your photomosaic on display for all to see?

For many of us, those are troubling questions when we take the time to answer with honesty and objectivity. But they’re even more troubling when we remember most people have already formed a Big Picture of us, based on the character, conduct and conversation they’ve witnessed in our lives.

The good news is, those pictures aren’t permanent. The life images recorded with every passing day are part of the record, but new ones are added all the time. Our God is a master Artist who can arrange them any way He sees fit. When we give Him access to every aspect of our sinful selves, He can take even the dark tones and ugly textures, set them amid the brilliance of his Son’s ever-increasing influence upon us and puzzle together an image of breath-taking beauty.

That’s because every living mosaic wrought by our Creator is a Self-portrait. When we yield the contents of our hearts and lives, He changes us through the mighty working of his Spirit. Over time, He takes a multitude of kind words, caring gestures and transformational worship moments and arrays them into a splendid reflection of Himself.

Ironically, Rob Silvers’ classic magazine cover is a fitting metaphor for our modern existence. The various issues of life, when reduced and put into proper context, reveal something much bigger than themselves. Each of us will determine what that something is, for ourselves and the people who watch us.

We in the church are right to encourage others to see things against the sweep of eternity and look for the spiritual dimension that puts life in perspective. But let’s remember that having them see the Big Picture is not as important as what Big Picture they see.

________

By Rick Gamble, published in Cross Current, Brantford, ON, Canada. Publish at will.

Complacency: And other thoughts on life.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

I once told a man that I no longer voted.

He responded by telling me this.

The choice of whether I voted or not was why he waded

through rice paddies, toted guns, and fought battles.

It wasn't long afterward that I began to vote again.

I once told a man a lie.

He responded by telling me this.

All of the decisions that he made were based upon the

words that I spoke. I have long since told the truth.

I once became upset over a gift I received, because it

wasn't what I wanted.

The giver saw the disappointment in my eyes and told me this.

He chose the most valuable gift he could find, because he felt that I

should have it. I am since very joyful over each gift that I receive.

A man once told me a secret which I whispered in another friend's ear.

The man told me this, after hearing his own secret repeated.

The reason he told me the secret was because he trusted me, not my

friend. I now no longer take trust so lightly.

I once gave a gift to a friend and she cried.

I told her it was just a small gift I had found.

Her response was that it was not the gift, it was that I had thought

of her. I now give gifts often.

The shiny coin was not to be mine, so I had been told.

But on my way out the door, it found it's way in my hand.

When it was known that I had stolen the coin, I was then taken aside.

The owner of the coin told me this.

Integrity is given with a choice.

I have since chosen to stand with integrity.

Once I told a man of all of my dreams.

He smiled warmly and even chuckled then asked if I ever planned on

living any of my dreams.

I now choose the spending of my days very differently.

I watched a man daily as he walked ... head down ... so focused.

I was curious and inquired as to why he never looked up.

The look on his face was one of surprise, but he responded.

His world was so structured that he didn't have to look where he

placed his foot and there was nothing else to look at. I make it a

point to never stare at my feet, for fear of creating tunnels.

I wanted just to be myself, going unnoticed and not draw attention.

And I was told this.

The fact that you do not conform makes you stand out all the more.

I'm still thinking about that one.

Each move I make creates a ripple in someone else's ocean.

Each breath I take affects the air all around me.

Each word I utter falls on someone else's ears.

That which I touch is felt by another.

That which I do will certainly affect another.

That which I do not, will also affect another.

We never know how far reaching something we say or do really is

until it returns to us ... and it always does!

ALL THINGS IN LIFE FORM A CIRCLE...Whether we see the circle or not.

- author unknown -

A Pebble

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,

And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;

You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,

And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,

And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,

And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave

Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;

But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet,

And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN?

When all the great plants of our cities,

have turned out their last finished work;

When the merchants have sold their last yard of silk

and dismissed their last hired clerk;

When the banks have "raked in" their last dollar

and paid out their last dividend;

And the judge of the world says: "Closed for the night"

and asks for a balance --- What Then?

When the church shall have sung its last anthem,

and the preacher has preached the last sermon;

When the people have led their last prayer,

and the sound has died out on the air;

When the Bible lays closed on the table,

and the seats are all empty of men;

and each one stands facing his record,

and the great book is opened -- What Then?

Work like you don't need money, dance like no one is watching and love like you have never been hurt. ------- Mark Twain

This, Too, Shall Pass Away

When some great sorrow, like a mighty river,

Flows through your life with peace-destroying power

And dearest things are swept from sight forever,

Say to your heart each trying hour:

"This, too, shall pass away."

When ceaseless toil has hushed your song of gladness,

And you have grown almost too tired to pray,

Let this truth banish from your heart its sadness,

And ease the burdens of each tryng day:

"This, too, shall pass away."

When fortune smiles, and, full of mirth and pleasure,

The days are flitting by without a care,

Lest you should rest with only earthly treasure,

Let these few words their fullest import bear:

"This, too, shall pass away."

When earnest labor brings you fame and glory,

And all earth's noblest ones upon you smile,

Remember that life's longest, grandest story

Fills but a moment in earth's little while:

"This, too, shall pass away."

Lanta Wilson Smith

Every year, about 1500 "thru-hikers" set out to walk the

entire Appalachian Trail in a single season. Only 10

percent complete the 2,160 miles of challenging terrain

stretching from Georgia to Maine. One reason some

people drop out early is that they haven't learned to travel

light.

A friend of mine launched his thru-hike carrying a seriously

overloaded backpack. He had a cassette player and six

tapes of bird calls, an air pistol to keep the varmints away,

a camera, a radio, and an alarm clock. "If it ran on batteries,"

he said, "I had one in my pack."

At his first stop, an experienced hiker helped him go through

his pack and decide what to keep and what to send home.

Each item was placed on a gram scale with the question,

"Is it worth it? Do you want to carry this for the next 2000

miles?"

My friend discovered that his biggest problem was an

accumulation of little things. Most of his extra weight

was in ounces, not pounds. He didn't need half of what

was in his first-aid kit nor the extra tube of toothpaste.

His heavy multi-tool knife was replaced with one weighing

only an ounce. A metal knife-fork-and-spoon set gave

way to a single plastic spoon. He sent home 26 pounds

of unnecessary weight.

How many of us are trying to walk the trail of faith in Christ

weighed down by an accumulation of little things--anger,

bitterness, worry, envy, jealousy, lust, and selfishness?

Instead of enjoying the beauty of life with Jesus, we

complain about how hard it is to follow Him.

Psalm 32 is for everyone who's ready to shed the weight

of sin and regain the joy of walking with the Lord. "Blessed

is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are

covered" (v.1).

What do you need to unload today?

LIFE 101 - WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT ABOUT

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many friends you have. Or how accepted you are. Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you're alone. It isn't about who you're dating, who you used to date, how many people you've dated, or if you haven't been with anyone at all. It isn't about who you have kissed. It's not about sex. It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have. Or what kind of car you drive. Or where you are sent to school. It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are. Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to. It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, or brown. Or if your skin is too light or too dark. Not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everybody else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are. It's not about what clubs you're in or how good you are at "your" sport. It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will "accept the written you."

LIFE JUST ISN'T.

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.

It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.

It's about keeping or betraying trust.

It's about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.

It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.

About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.

It's about what judgments you pass and why.

And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention.

It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.

It's about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow, and spreading it.

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could have never occurred alone.

Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those choices are what life's all about.

Unknown

Cowboy Wisdom

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Never smack a man who's chewin' tobacco.

* It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

* Never ask a barber if he thinks you need a haircut.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin'

somebody else's dog around.

* Don't worry about bitin' off more than you can chew. Your mouth is

probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad

judgment.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.

* If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then

to make sure it's still there.

* When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don't be

surprised if they learn their lesson.

* The best way to have a quiche for dinner is to make it up and put it in

the oven to bake at 325 degrees. Meanwhile, get out a large T-bone, grill

it, and when it's done, eat it. As for the quiche, continue to let it bake,

but otherwise ignore it.

* There's two theories to arguin' with a woman. Neither one works.

* When you're throwin' your weight around, be ready to have it thrown

around by somebody else.

* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back.

* Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so

important to know what it is, but it's critical to know what it was.

* The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back

in your pocket.

* Never miss a good chance to shut up.

The world says get all the gesto you can out of life. Jesus says to

give your life to him and let him make something wonder- ful out of

your life.

- Bill Gordon

When workmen began to renovate Theater London in London, Ontario,

they were determined to save the theater's greatest glory -- its

splendid proscenium arch with its hand-painted murals of frolicking

nymphs. During the project's early stages they discovered that one

side of the arch was supported by nothing more than a broken brick

standing on loose sand. A steel support was hastily erected before

the arch collapsed! Many a life, if examined, would be found to have

just as flimsy foundations. The Lord Jesus taught concerning the

danger of building life on the sand. When the storm of judgment

blows, such a life will not stand the test.

Leslie Flynn in "Dare to Care Like Jesus" tells the following

story: "A Christian baroness, living in the highlands of Nairobi,

Kenya, told of a young national who was employed as her houseboy.

After three months he asked the baroness to give him a letter of

reference to a friendly sheik some miles away. The baroness, not

wishing the houseboy to leave just when he had learned the routine of

the household, offered to increase his pay. The lad replied that he

was not leaving for higher pay. Rather, he had decided he would become

either a Christian or a Mohammedan. This was why he had come to work

for the baroness for three months. He had wished to see how

Christians acted. Now he wanted to work for three months for the sheik

to observe the ways of the Mohammedans. Then he would decide which

way of life he would follow. The baroness was stunned as she recalled

her many blemishes in her dealings with the houseboy. She could only

exclaim, 'Why didn't you tell me at the beginning!'"

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think,

all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the

friends I want to see."

- John Burroughs

Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and

perhaps the most intelligent man onearth. He has advanced the general

theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein.

Unfortunately, Hawking is afflicted with ALS Syndrome (Lou Gehrig's

disease). It will eventually take his life. He has been confined to a

wheelchair for years, where he can do little more than sit and think.

Hawking has lost the ability even to speak, and now he communicates by

means of a computer that is operated from the tiniest movement of his

fingertips. Quoting from an Omni magazine article: "He is too weak to write, feed

himself, comb his hair, fix his classes--all this must be done for

him. Yet this most dependent of all men has escaped invalid status.

His personality shines through the messy details of his existence." Hawking said that before he became ill, he had very little interest in

life. He called it a "pointless existence" resulting from sheer

boredom. He drank too much and did very little work. Then he learned

he had ALS Syndrome and was not expected to live more than two years.

The ultimate effect of that diagnosis, beyond its initial shock, was

extremely positive. He claimed to have been happier after he was

afflicted than before. How can that be understood? Hawking provided

the answer. "When one's expectations are reduced to zero," he said, "one really

appreciates everything that one does have." Stated another way:

contentment in life is determined in part by what a person anticipates

from it. To a man like Hawking who thought he would soon die quickly,

everything takes on meaning--a sunrise or a walk in a park or the

laughter of children."

It is said that an old lady was to take a train journey of about

fifty miles through a most beautiful country. For months she

contemplated the trip. She was anxious to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The day came and she boarded the train. After getting her seat, she

began arranging matters. She wanted everything just right. She began

placing her bags, fixing her lunch box, adjusting the shades, and

getting everything ready to enjoy the trip to the full. But, sad to

say, just as everything was adjusted and she settled back, the

conductor called out her station. She had to hurry around and gather

up her belongings. "Oh, me!" she said, "if I had known we would get

here so soon, I would not have wasted my time fussing around."

That is a fair picture of multitudes. We are so busy with the

transient things of earth that we have little time to prepare for the

next world. About the time we think we are all fixed for this world,

the death angel will call out, "Eternity."