Lord, forgive me when I whine

I heard this poem many years ago and I think it is a timely reminder that I found it again today.

FORGIVE ME WHEN I WHINE !

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman and wished
I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it’d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
“I thank you, you’ve been so kind.
It’s nice to talk with folks like you.
You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child I knew.
He stood and watched the others play,
but he did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
“Why don’t you join them dear?”
He looked ahead without a word.
I forgot, he couldn’t hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go.
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow.
With ears to hear what I’d know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I’ve been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

Have a wonderful week!

Kenneth

Water Conservation Tips

This month, I begin a series of blog posts focusing on conservation of energy. The tips below may refer to the holidays, but apply in our everyday lives too.

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From City of Tampa Online:

The Southwest Florida Water Management District shares six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and parties without running up your water bill.

“It is especially important to conserve water during the holidays, as they fall within our traditional dry season,” said Robyn Felix, the District’s media relations manager. “We can all make a difference by incorporating a few simple tips into our routines.”

During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from food preparation to the clean-up process. Here’s how to incorporate water conservation into your holiday preparations:

1. Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them.

Conserve water

2. Rinse vegetables and fruits in a sink or pan filled with water instead of under running water. This water can then be reused to water houseplants. A running faucet can use up to 4 gallons per minute.

3. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water and fill the rinsing sink one-third to one-half full. Avoid letting the water run continuously in the rinsing sink.

4. Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary.

5. Scrape food scraps into the garbage can or a composting bin, rather than rinsing them into the sink’s garbage disposal. A garbage disposal uses up to 4.5 gallons of water per minute.

6. Run your dishwasher only when you have a full load. Dishwashers use between 7 and 12 gallons per load.

For more water conservation tips, visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/conservation/.

The “Parable” of Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.

They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, ”Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.”

Then the second tree said, “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”

Finally the third tree said, “I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.”

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.

When one came to the first tree he said, ”This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter,” and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the Woodsmen said, “I don’t need anything special from my Tree, I’ll take this one,” and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said “Peace” and the Storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.

When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Please keep this moving. Pass it on, so God may inspire more people.

May your day be blessed. And until we meet again, may God cradle you in the palm of His hand.

Kenneth

[This was forwarded to me by my aunt Meg]

How much does a miracle cost?

This gem was shared on Facebook by Jeanelle Knecht. Thanks Jeanelle!

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A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing.

She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about MY brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really, really sick … and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs…”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.

“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered, barely audible.

“And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.”

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.”

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

“That surgery,” her Mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost … one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

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Let us all be grateful for the little miracles in our lives that often go unnoticed.

Namaste,
Ken

What’s Important in a Marriage?

Two weeks into 2012 and I have not had anything I felt worth sharing … until now. I came across this on Facebook and it brought tears to my eyes.

I love Hana very much, and try to devote as much time as I can to be with her. Yet, this story made me ask myself, “am I doing enough?”

We are living in difficult times, I know. I do hope however, that seeking a good life does not take us away from what is most important to us – well, at least to me.

I’ll let you decide what’s important to you when you’ve read this through.

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When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, “I’ve got something to tell you”.

She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking.

I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, “why?”

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the plates and shouted at me, “you are not a man!”

That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane.

I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces.

The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly.

Finally, she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me, her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible.

Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me.

Source: imagebase.davidniblack.com

But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into our bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration, I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning.

I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable, I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. “No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce”, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.

Our son clapped behind us, “daddy is holding mommy in his arms”. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.

She closed her eyes and said softly, “don’t tell our son about the divorce”. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse.

I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her.

For a minute, I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.

Subconsciously, I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, “dad, it’s time to carry mom out”.

To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly.

I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway.

Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and told her I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind.

I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, “Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore”. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. “Do you have a fever?”, she said.

I moved her hand off my head. “Sorry, Jane”, I said.

“I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart”.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way home, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, “I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart”.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I ran upstairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.

My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was too busy with Jane to even notice.

She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from whatever negative reaction it would have on our son, in case we pushed through with the divorce.

At least, in the eyes of our son, I’m a loving husband.

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It’s amazing isn’t it how easily love can be lost when couples take their eyes off what is really important.

I believe that it is the small details that truly matter in a relationship. NOT the big house, the expensive car, nice clothes, or money in the bank.

Those items will create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So, find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other.  Every bit counts. Nothing is unimportant that is done with love.

Marriage, to me, should not be measured in the number of anniversaries but in the number of happy moments shared by two people in love.

I wish everyone a happy marriage!

Kenneth

A soldier’s tale

As we busy ourselves preparing for Christmas – decorating the tree, buying presents, making family greeting cards, planning the Christmas meal – let us pause for a brief moment and reflect on what we have … and how it is made possible.

“T’was the night before Christmas.  He lived all alone, in a one-bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give, and to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight I did see. No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the mantle, just boots filled with sand. On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds, a sober thought came through my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary. I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone, curled up on the floor in this one-bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder. Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read? Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families that I saw this night, owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.

Soon, around the world, children would play, and grown-ups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.

Source: growingyourbaby.com

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year, because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone, on a cold Christmas eve in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye, I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice, “Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice”.

“I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more. My life is my God, my country, my corps.”

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep. I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still, and we both shivered from the cold night’s chill.

I didn’t want to leave on that cold, dark night, this guardian of honor, so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure, whispered, “Carry on Santa. It’s Christmas day, all is secure.”

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right.

Merry Christmas my friend, and to all, a good night!”

This poem was written (I don’t know when) by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable….. PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can?

Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.

Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Amen.

Humor – A lady and a millionaire

A man asked a waiter to take a bottle of Merlot to an unusually attractive woman sitting alone at a table in a cozy little restaurant.

So the waiter took the Merlot to the woman and said, “This is from the gentleman who is seated over there.” And indicated the sender with a nod of his head.

She stared at the wine coolly for a few seconds, not looking at the man, then decided to send a reply to him by a note.

The waiter, who was lingering nearby for a response, took the note from her and conveyed it to the gentleman.

The note read, “For me to accept this bottle, you need to have a Mercedes in your garage, a million dollars in the bank and 7 inches in your pants”.

After reading the note, the man decided to compose one of his own in return.

He folded the note, handed it to the waiter and instructed him to deliver it to the lady.

It read, “Just to let you know things aren’t always what they appear to be, I have a Ferrari Maranello, BMW Z8, Mercedes CL600, and a Porsche Turbo in my several garages.”

“I also have beautiful homes in Aspen, Miami, and a 10,000 acre ranch in Louisiana.”

“There is over twenty-million dollars in my bank account and portfolio. But, not even for a woman as beautiful as you are, would I cut off three inches. Just send the bottle back.”

Humor – Overheard in court

A lady, who had been arrested for assaulting a Mammogram Technician, said, “Your Honor, I’m guilty but there were extenuating circumstances.”

The female Judge said, sarcastically, “I’d certainly like to hear those extenuating circumstances.”

“Your Honor, I had a mammogram appointment, which I actually kept. When I arrived, I was met by this perky little clipboard carrier smiling from ear to ear.

She tilted her head to one side and crooned, “Hi! I’m Belinda! All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?”

I’m thinking, “Belinda, try decaf. This ain’t rocket science.”

Belinda then skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors. With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, “Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?”

Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck to finish me off?

My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other breast wedged between those two 4 inch pieces of square glass) when I heard and felt a zap!

Complete darkness, the power was off!

Belinda said, “Uh-oh, maintenance is working, bet they hit a snag.” Then she headed for the door.

“Excuse me! You’re not leaving me in this vise alone are you?” I shouted.

Belinda kept going and said, “Oh, you fussy puppy…the door’s wide open so you’ll have the emergency hall lights. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could shout NOOOO!, she disappeared.

Bubba and Earl?

And that’s exactly how Bubba and Earl, “maintenance men Extraordinaire” found me … half-naked with part of me dangling from the ‘Jaws of Life’ and the other part smashed between glass!

After exchanging a polite, “Hi, how’s it going type greeting”, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.

Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible, “Uh, yes, I did but thanks anyway.”

“OK, you take care now” Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I’d been standing in the line at the grocery store.

Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin.

Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, “Oh I am sooo sorry! The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?”

“And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps!”

The judge could hardly contain her laughter as she said, “Case Dismissed.”

Humor – Bubba and a hooker

Just read this on Facebook. Laughed my butt off!

Enjoy!

Bubba?

Bubba was walking home late at night and sees a woman in the shadows.

“Twenty dollars”, she whispers.

Bubba had never been with a hooker before, but decides what the heck, it’s only twenty bucks, so they hide in the bushes.

They’re in there for only a minute when all of a sudden a light flashes on them.

It’s a police officer.

“What’s going on here people?”, asks the officer.

“I’m making love to my wife!”, Bubba answers, sounding annoyed.

“Oh, I’m sorry”, says the cop, “I didn’t know.”

Bubba says, “Well, neither did I, till you shined that light in her face!”

Humor – A blind man with a dumb blonde joke

A blind man enters a ladies bar by mistake. He finds his way to a bar stool and orders a drink.

After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender in a loud voice, “Hey bartender, you wanna hear a dumb blonde joke?”!

The bar immediately falls deathly quiet.

In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, ”Before you tell that joke, sir, I think it is just fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things…

1 – The bartender is a blonde woman.

2 – The bouncer is a blonde woman.

3 – The woman sitting next to me is blonde and is a professional weightlifter.

4 – The lady to your right is a blonde and is a professional wrestler, and

5 – I’m a 6 foot, 200 lb. blonde woman with a black belt in karate and a very bad attitude.

Now think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still want to tell that joke?”

The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head, and says, “Naaaah . . .
not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times.”

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If you enjoyed that, check out A Tazer Tale. It’ll knock you off your feet!