Cat’s Tale

Cat was walking along one early evening, heading toward the village.

Cat was a friendly sort. In her lives, she wore many hats. Sometimes she was a companion, listener and even a watch cat. Suddenly, out of the shadows leapt a massive dog. To cat, it seemed as if a chunk of the sky had fallen into her path.

In the shadowy darkness, the animal towered over cat and bared its great, sharp, yellow teeth.

“Run away,” the dog snarled.

Startled nearly out of her wits, cat knew that if she were going to survive she must not panic. She imposed a steely calm on herself and looked up at the beast.

“I beg your pardon,” answered cat, far more calmly than she felt. “I have business here. Let me pass.”

The dog had not expected this reaction. He usually left his victims weak with fear by simply looking at them.

“Run,” he repeated. “I don’t like the way you drift about these parts cozying up to people and making them feel so secure. This is my place. Everyone here does as I tell them to.”

Now cat was nearly paralyzed with fear and running was absolutely out of the question. Cat knew that if she did run away she would never be able to see her friends in these parts again. She also realized that if she did not stand, she would always live in fear of dogs. Perhaps she would spend her life cringing at shadows as so many other cats did.

It wasn’t right. There was nothing wrong with cat helping people. The wrong was in the animal she was facing.

Cat breathed a silent prayer; “Oh help me find my way home safe.” A little spark kindled in cat’s heart. The light in her heart began to fill her and unfreeze her muscles and nerves. Suddenly, cat was no longer pretending – she really wasn’t afraid.

Cat realized at that moment, nothing mattered more to her than shining her light in this dark creature.

“I invite you to come with me and meet my friends,” cat purred. “I hate to think of you out here all alone.”

Slowly, cat managed to put one paw in front of another until she found herself gliding past the menacing creature.

“Stop,” snarled the dog. “Take one more step and I will destroy you. Don’t you dare cross me!”

It was too late. Cat had found her feet and was going at a fast pace toward the village where her friends waited for her.

She rushed into the home of the village’s guard dog and told her story.

“Did I do right?” cat asked.

“You did just fine,” he answered. “You aren’t finished. Now you must go out and tell your tale so that others who find themselves in fear might recall it and find their light.”

And so cat did.

by Lisa Suhay

Meditation: You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; – 2 Chronicles 20:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How to Attain Expertise

How to Attain Expertise:

There is really nothing you cannot do if you devote time to learning it and apply yourself to practising it. Expertise is that simple. Nobody is born an expert.

Choose the Problem You Solve

None of us is meant to solve every problem. Learning to choose the problem to solve is the beginning of personal liberty.

What Is Christianity?

Christianity means having faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

It means to trust in the Bible as God’s Holy Infallible Word.

It is realizing sin separates us from God who is righteous and just;

Knowing we can’t be reconciled on our own, so in Christ we trust.

It is understanding we cannot earn God’s grace by virtues or good behavior.

It is acknowledging we’re sinners who need the atonement of our Savior.

It’s realizing that laws and religion do not have the power to save us.

It’s knowing and loving Jesus and accepting the gift that He gave us.

It is believing that Jesus took our sins at the cross for our debt to be paid.

It is assurance we have eternal salvation because of the sacrifice He made.

It’s asking for God’s forgiveness and to help us make a fresh start;

Asking Him to be with us always, and to fill us in mind and in heart.

It is having faith in God’s sovereignty for He knows what’s best;

Thanking Him for all He has done and for how we’ve been blessed.

This is the message of the Gospel; Good News to those who will hear it.

And when we accept and follow Jesus we receive the help of the Holy Spirit.

Being a Christian transforms us within and in every part of life;

It gives us hope and joy along with comfort in sorrow and strife.

We know we’re not perfect but we want to please God and obey.

We continually ask God to mend us and to show us the way.

We understand this is an ongoing process; not just an event.

We strive to reflect Christ’s love for it is Him we represent.

We believe God loves everyone and has a purpose for us all.

We know He does not want any of us to be lost or to fall.

We seek to know, to serve and to love God more and more;

As we find understanding and meaning we did not know before.

If your faith isn’t evident and doesn’t mean this to you,

Carefully reconsider and assess, is your faith really true?

If you have any doubts, seek His wisdom and pray.

Invite Him into your life; ask Him to show you the way.

Written by Arlene Spanos

Meditation: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. – John 3:16-17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Watch Your Attitude

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn’t get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law’s habits. In addition, she criticised Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li’s poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law’s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Li went to see her father’s good friend, Mr Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.

Mr Huang thought for a while, and finally said, ‘Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you.’

Li-Li said, ‘Yes, Mr Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do. ‘Mr. Huang went into the back room and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, ‘You can’t use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving.

Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. ‘Don’t argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.’

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practised controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn’t had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law’s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li’s husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr Huang and asked for his help again She said, ‘Dear Mr Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She has changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her.’

Mr Huang smiled and nodded his head. ‘Li-Li, there’s nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.’

Have you realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: ‘The person who loves others will also be loved in return.’ God might be trying to work in another person’s life through you. A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Purpose Dilemma

The reason many do not identify their purpose or get frustrated by the search is because they are looking for functions before essence. Who you are [your essence or meaning] comes before what you are meant to do [purpose, assignments].

A Wrong Notion

We have allowed this wrong notion to go on for too long.

That idea that the children of the rich will later be poor because they are not well trained in domestic chores while the children of the poor who are well trained in domestic chores, who walked to school and could not afford the comforts of life, will later be rich. It is a lie!

Check around you and tell me the ratio of the children of poor people who went on to be rich as well as children of rich people who became poor.