Let Go Of Your Stresses

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

A psychologist walked around a room while
teaching stress management to an audience. As
she raised a glass of water, everyone expected
they’d be asked the “half empty or half full”
question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she
inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It
depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a
minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour,
I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day,
my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each
case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but
the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are
like that glass of water. Think about them for a
while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit
longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think
about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed –
incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your
stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put
all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through
the evening and into the night. Remember to put
the glass down!

DON'T HOPE, DECIDE

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in
Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-
changing experiences that you hear other
people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on
you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere
two feet away from me.
Straining to locate my friend among the
passengers deplaning through the jet way, I
noticed a man coming toward me carrying two
light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet
his family.
First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe
six years old) as he laid down his bags. They
gave each other a long, loving hug. As they
separated enough to look in each other’s face, I
heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you,
son. I missed you so much!” His son smiled
somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied
softly, “Me, too, Dad!”
Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his
oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while
cupping his son’s face in his hands said,
“You’re already quite the young man. I love you
very much, Zach!” They too hugged a most
loving, tender hug.
While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps
one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly
in her mother’s arms, never once taking her
little eyes off the wonderful sight of her
returning father. The man said, “Hi, baby girl!”
as he gently took the child from her mother. He
quickly kissed her face all over and then held
her close to his chest while rocking her from
side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and
simply laid her head on his shoulder,
motionless in pure contentment.
After several moments, he handed his daughter
to his oldest son and declared, “I’ve saved the
best for last!” and proceeded to give his wife
the longest, most passionate kiss I ever
remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for
several seconds and then silently mouthed. “I
love you so much!” They stared at each other’s
eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while
holding both hands.
For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds,
but I knew by the age of their kids that they
couldn’t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a
moment then realized how totally engrossed I
was in the wonderful display of unconditional
love not more than an arm’s length away from
me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was
invading something sacred, but was amazed to
hear my own voice nervously ask, “Wow! How
long have you two been married?
“Been together fourteen years total, married
twelve of those.” he replied, without breaking
his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well then,
how long have you been away?” I asked. The
man finally turned and looked at me, still
beaming his joyous smile. “Two whole days!”
Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of
the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for
at least several weeks – if not months. I know
my expression betrayed me.
I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my
intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to
get back to searching for my friend), “I hope my
marriage is still that passionate after twelve
years!”
The man suddenly stopped smiling.
He looked me straight in the eye, and with
forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he
told me something that left me a different
person. He told me, “Don’t hope, friend…
decide!” Then he flashed me his wonderful
smile again, shook my hand and said, “God
bless!”
Indeed don't hope, decide.

Black or White?

Is the title of today's inspirational message

When I was in elementary school, I got into a
major argument with a boy in my class. I have
forgotten what the argument was about, but I have
never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.
I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was
wrong – and he was just as convinced that “I” was
wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to
teach us a very important lesson.
She brought us up to the front of the class and
placed him on one side of her desk and me on the
other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round
object. I could clearly see that it was black. She
asked the boy what color the object was. “White,”
he answered.
I couldn’t believe he said the object was white,
when it was obviously black! Another argument
started between my classmate and me, this time
about the color of the object.
The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was
standing and told him to come stand where I had
been. We changed places, and now she asked me
what the color of the object was. I had to answer,
“White.”
It was an object with two differently colored sides,
and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my
side it was black.
Sometimes we need to look at the problem from
the other person’s view in order to truly
understand his/her perspective.
Don't be quick to judge.

LIFE!

Is the title of today's inspirational message

Sometimes people come into your life and you
know right away that they were meant to be
there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you
a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are
or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be – a
roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a
lover, or even a complete stranger – but when
you lock eyes with them, you know at that very
moment they will affect your life in some
profound way.
Sometimes things happen to you that may
seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in
reflection you find that without overcoming
those obstacles you would have never realized
your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.
Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true
greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test
the limits of your soul. Without these small
tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a
smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It
would be safe and comfortable, but dull and
utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life, and
the success and downfalls you experience, help
to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can be learned from.
In fact, they are sometimes the most important
ones.
If someone loves you, give love back to them in
whatever way you can, not only because they
love you, but because in a way, they are
teaching you to love and how to open your
heart and eyes to things.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks
your heart, forgive them, for they have helped
you learn about trust and the importance of
being cautious to whom you open your heart.
Make every day count. Appreciate every
moment and take from those moments
everything that you possibly can for you may
never be able to experience it again. Talk to
people that you have never talked to before, and
listen to what they have to say.
Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your
sights high. Hold your head up because you
have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great
individual and believe in yourself, for if you
don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for
others to believe in you.
You can make anything you wish of your life.
Create your own life and then go out and live it
with absolutely no regrets.
And if you love someone tell them, for you
never know what tomorrow may have in store.
Learn a lesson in life each day that you live!
Today is the tomorrow you were worried about
yesterday.
Think About it? Was it worth it?

THE MOUSE TRAP

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to
see the farmer and his wife open a package.
“What food might this contain?” the mouse
wondered. He was devastated to discover it was
a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse
proclaimed the warning: “There is a mousetrap
in the house! There is a mousetrap in the
house!”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her
head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a
grave concern to you, but it is of no
consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by
it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him,
“There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a
mousetrap in the house!” The pig sympathized,
but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but
there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be
assured you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There
is a mousetrap in the house! There is a
mousetrap in the house!” The cow said, “Wow,
Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin
off my nose.”
So, the mouse returned to the house, head
down and dejected, to face the farmer’s
mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout
the house – like the sound of a mousetrap
catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to
see what was caught. In the darkness, she did
not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the
trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s
wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and
she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh
chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to
the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. But
his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and
neighbors came to sit with her around the
clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the
pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well; she
died. So many people came for her funeral, the
farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide
enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in
the wall with great sadness. So, the next time
you hear someone is facing a problem and think
it doesn’t concern you, remember, when one of
us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all
involved in this journey called life. We must
keep an eye out for one another and make an
extra effort to encourage one another. Each of
us is a vital thread in another person’s
tapestry.

Miracle Love

Is the title of today's inspirational message

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that
another baby was on the way, she did what she
could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare
for a new sibling.
The new baby was going be a girl, and day after
day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in
Mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love
with his little sister before he even met her.
The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an
active member of the the Creek United Methodist
Church in Morristown, Tennessee, USA.
In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every
five minutes, every three, every minute. But
serious complications arose during delivery and
Karen found herself in hours of labor.
Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s little sister
was born. But she was in very serious condition.
With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance
rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care
unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.
The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The
pediatrician had to tell the parents there was very
little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and
her husband contacted a local cemetery about a
burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in
their house for their new baby they found
themselves having to plan for a funeral.
Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let
him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he kept
saying.
Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral
would come before the week was over. Michael
kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids
are never allowed in Intensive Care.
Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it
or not. If he didn’t see his sister right then, he
may never see her alive. She dressed him in an
oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He
looked like a walking laundry basket.
The head nurse recognized him as a child and
bellowed, “Get that kid out of here now. No
children are allowed.”
The mother rose up strong in Karen and the
usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right
into the head nurse’s eyes, her lips a firm line, “He
is not leaving until he sings to his sister.”
Then Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began tossing. In the pure-
hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you
make me happy when skies are gray.”
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The
pulse rate began to calm down and became
steady.
“Keep on singing, Michael,” encouraged Karen with
tears in her eyes.
“You never know, dear, how much I love you,
please don’t take my sunshine away.”
As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged,
strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s
purr. “Keep on singing, sweetheart.”
“The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed
I held you in my arms”.
Michael’s little sister began to relax as rest,
healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. “Keep
singing, Michael.” Tears had now conquered the
face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please
don’t take my sunshine away…”
The next day,…the very next day…the little girl was
well enough to go home.

Marriage

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

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 chopsticks 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. But she had
something more, she asked me to recall how I
had carried her into out 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 said, 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, 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 run up stairs, only
to find my wife in the bed – dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months
and I was so busy with Jane to even notice.
She knew that she would die soon and she
wanted to save me from the whatever negative
reaction from our son, in case we push thru with
the divorce –At least, in the eyes of our son—
I’m a loving husband…
The small details of your lives are what really
matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion,
the car, property, the money in the bank. These
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 that build
intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Enjoy your life at every moment!

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

Once a fisherman was sitting near seashore,
under the shadow of a tree smoking his beedi.
Suddenly a rich businessman passing by
approached him and enquired as to why he was
sitting under a tree smoking and not working.
To this the poor fisherman replied that he had
caught enough fishes for the day.
Hearing this the rich man got angry and said:
Why don’t you catch more fishes instead of
sitting in shadow wasting your time?
Fisherman asked: What would I do by catching
more fishes?
Businessman: You could catch more fishes, sell
them and earn more money, and buy a bigger
boat.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could go fishing in deep
waters and catch even more fishes and earn
even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could buy many boats and
employ many people to work for you and earn
even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could become a rich
businessman like me.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could then enjoy your life
peacefully.
Fisherman: Isn’t that what I am doing now?
Moral – You don’t need to wait for tomorrow to
be happy and enjoy your life. You don’t even
need to be more rich, more powerful to enjoy
life. LIFE is at this moment, enjoy it fully.
As some great men have said “My riches
consist not in extent of my possessions but in
the fewness of my wants”.

The Motherly Love!

Is the title of today's inspirational Message.

That night, Sue quarreled with her mother, then
stormed out of the house. While enroute, she
remembered that she did not have any money
in her pocket, she did not even have enough
coins to make a phone call home.
At the same time, she went through a noodle
shop, picking up sweet fragrance, she suddenly
felt very hungry. She wished for a bowl of
noodles, but she had no money!
The seller saw her standing wheat faltered
before the counter and asked:
– Hey little girl, you want to eat a bowl?
– But … but I do not carry money … she shyly
replied.
– Okay, I’ll treat you – the seller said – come
in, I will cook you a bowl.
A few minutes later the owner brought her a
steaming bowl of noodles. Ate some pieces, Sue
cried.
– What is it? – He asked.
– Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness!
– Sue said as she wiped her tears.
– Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl
of noodles, and my mother, after a quarrel,
chased me out of the house. She is cruel!!
The seller sighed:
– Girl, why did you think so? Think again. I only
gave you a bowl of noodles and you felt that
way. Your mother had raised you since you
were little, why were you not grateful and
disobeyed your mom?
Sue was really surprised after hearing that.
“Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles
from a stranger made me feel indebted, and my
mother has raised me since I was little and I
have never felt so, even a little.”
On the way home, Sue thought in her head what
she would say to her mother when she arrives
home: “Mom, I’m sorry. I know it is my fault,
please forgive me … ”
Once up the steps, Sue saw her mother worried
and tired of looking for her everywhere. Upon
seeing Sue, her mother gently said: “Sue, come
inside honey. You are probably very hungry? I
cooked rice and prepared the meal already,
come eat while it is still hot …”
Can not control any longer, Sue cried in her
mom’s hands.
In life, we sometimes easy to appreciate the
small actions of some people around us, but for
the relatives, especially parents, we see their
sacrifices as a matter of natural …
Parental love and concern are the most precious
gifts we have been given since birth.
Parents do not expect us to pay back for
nurturing us …… but have we ever appreciated
or treasure the unconditional sacrifice of our
parents?

My mom only had one eye

Is the title of today's inspirational message

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She

was such an embarrassment. She cooked for

students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary

school where my mom came to say hello to

me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her,

threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next

day at school one of my classmates said, “EEEE,

your mom only has one eye!”

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom

to just disappear. I confronted her that day and

said, “If you’re only gonna make me a laughing

stock, why don’t you just die?”

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to

think for a second about what I had said,

because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to

her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to

do with her. So I studied real hard, got a

chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my

own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with

my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one

day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t

seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her

grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children

laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming

over uninvited. I screamed at her, “How dare

you come to my house and scare my children!

GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!”

And to this, my mother quietly answered, “Oh,

I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong

address.” – and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion

came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I

was going on a business trip. After the reunion,

I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed

a single tear. They handed me a letter that she

had wanted me to have.

“My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came

to your house and scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming

for the reunion. But I may not be able to even

get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a

constant embarrassment to you when you were

growing up.

You see……..when you were very little, you got

into an accident, and lost your eye. As a

mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to

grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a

whole new world for me, in my place, with that

eye.

With all my love to you,

Your mother.”

Learn and Earn

m
Is the title of today's inspirational message.

Chuan and Jing joined a wholesale company
together just after graduation. Both worked very
hard.
After several years, the boss promoted Jing to
sales executive but Chuan remained a sales
rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore,
tender resignation to the boss and complained
the boss did not value hard working staff, but
only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for
the years, but in order to help Chuan realize the
difference between him and Jing, the boss
asked Chuan to do the following. Go and find
out anyone selling water melon in the market?
Chuan returned and said yes. The boss asked
how much per kg? Chuan went back to the
market to ask and returned to inform boss the
$12 per kg.
Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same
question? Jing went, returned and said, boss,
only one person selling water melon. $12 per
kg, $100 for 10 kg, he has inventory of 340
melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon
weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two
days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.
Chuan was very impressed and realized the
difference between himself and Jing. He decided
not to resign but to learn from Jing.
My dear friends, a more successful person is
more observant, think more and understand in
depth. For the same matter, a more successful
person sees several years ahead, while you see
only tomorrow. The difference between a year
and a day is 365 times, how could you win?
Think! how far have you seen ahead in your life?
How thoughtful in depth are you?

True Story : Real Winner Never Give Up!

Is the title of today's inspirational message

This is a true story of a young woman who
went through the most gruesome fire. When you
read her story, you’ll realize that your trials are
absolutely nothing compared to what this young
girl went through.
It was September 25, 2000. Maricel Apatan was
an 11-year old girl in Zamboanga. On that day,
this little girl went with her uncle to draw water.
Along the way, four men met them. They were
carrying long knives. They told her uncle to face
down on the ground, and they hacked him on
the neck and killed him.
Maricel was in total shock, especially that the
men were their neighbors. She tried to escape,
but the men ran after her.
She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong
tagain! Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill
me! Have mercy on me!”)
But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a
man slashed her on the neck too.
Maricel fell to the ground and lost
consciousness.
When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood. She
also saw the feet of the men around her, but
she pretended to be dead.
When they walked away, Maricel ran back
home. But along the way, she saw that both her
hands were falling off. Because the men hacked
them too. She cried but she kept running.
Sometimes, she would faint and fall to the
ground. But she’d regain consciousness and
run again.
When she was near her home, Maricel called
her mother.
Upon seeing her daughter, her mother
screamed in terror. She wrapped her bloodied
child in a blanket and carried her to the
hospital.
Here was the problem: From her house to the
highway, it was a 12-kilometer walk. It took
them 4 hours just to reach the highway.
When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors
thought Maricel was going to die. But for 5
hours, they operated on her. It took 25 stitches
to stitch together the long knife wound in her
neck and back.
Maricel barely survived. And she lost both of
her hands.
Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s
birthday. She was 12 years old.
But tragedy didn’t end there. When they went
home, they saw their home was gone. It was
ransacked and burned down by the goons.
Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t
have P50,000 for their hospital bills.
But God sent many angels along the way to
help them.
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative,
paid for hospital bills and helped them bring the
criminals to court. They were sentenced to
prison.
Today, she’s staying with the nuns at Regina
Rosarii with Sr. Eppie Brasil, O.P.
But this is the incredible miracle. Instead of
staying down, Maricel kept running.
Instead of cursing God why she had no hands,
she now uses her wrists in incredible ways that
will boggle your mind.
Maricel was
cited as the
most
industrious,
best in
computer, and
most
courteous in
the School for
Crippled
Children.
In 2008, she
graduated
from a course
in Hotel and
Restaurant
Management. She even received a Gold medal
for Arts and Crafts.
In 2011, she finished her education to be a
chef. Yes, a Chef without hands.
Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching
her dreams.

The Cookie Thief

Is the title of today's inspirational message

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
with several long hours before her flight. She
hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a
bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book but happened
to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold
as could be. . .grabbed a cookie or two from
the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to
avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the
clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her
stock. She was getting more irritated as the
minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice,
I would blacken his eye.”
With each cookie she took, he took one too,
when only one was left, she wondered what he
would do. With a smile on his face, and a
nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and
broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other, she
snatched it from him and thought… oooh,
brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also
rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so
galled, and sighed with relief when her flight
was called. She gathered her belongings and
headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the
thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
then she sought her book, which was almost
complete. As she reached in her baggage, she
gasped with surprise, there was her bag of
cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the
others were his, and he tried to share. Too late
to apologize, she realized with grief, that she
was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

There may be days when you get up in the
morning and things aren’t the way you had
hoped they would be.
That’s when you have to tell yourself that things
will get better. There are times when people
disappoint you and let you down.
But those are the times when you must remind
yourself to trust your own judgments and
opinions, to keep your life focused on believing
in yourself.
There will be challenges to face and changes to
make in your life, and it is up to you to accept
them.
Constantly keep yourself headed in the right
direction for you. It may not be easy at times,
but in those times of struggle you will find a
stronger sense of who you are.
So when the days come that are filled with
frustration and unexpected responsibilities,
remember to believe in yourself and all you
want your life to be.
Because the challenges and changes will only
help you to find the goals that you know are
meant to come true for you.
Keep Believing in Yourself!

Gift of love!

Is the title of today's inspirational message.

The passengers on the bus watched
sympathetically as the attractive young woman
with the white cane made her way carefully up
the steps. She paid the driver and, using her
hands to feel the location of the seats, walked
down the aisle and found the seat he’d told her
was empty. Then she settled in, placed her
briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against
her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, 34, became
blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had
been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly
thrown into a world of darkness, anger,
frustration and self-pity. And all she had to
cling to was her husband, Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved
Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her
sight, he watched her sink into despair and was
determined to help his wife gain the strength
and confidence she needed to become
independent again.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but
how would she get there? She used to take the
bus, but was now too frightened to get around
the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive
her to work each day, even though they worked
at opposite ends of the city. At first, this
comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark’s need to
protect his sightless wife who was so insecure
about performing the slightest task. Soon,
however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn’t
working. Susan is going to have to start taking
the bus again, he admitted to himself. But she
was still so fragile, so angry-how would she
react?
Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the
idea of taking the bus again. “I’m blind!,” she
responded bitterly. “How am I supposed to
know where I am going? I feel like you’re
abandoning me.”
Mark’s heart broke to hear these words, but he
knew what had to be done. He promised Susan
that each morning and evening he would ride
the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she
got the hang of it. And that is exactly what
happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military
uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from
work each day. He taught her how to rely on
her other senses, specifically her hearing, to
determine where she was and how to adapt her
new environment. He helped her befriend the
bus drivers who could watch out for her, and
save her a seat.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try
the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived,
and before she left, she threw her arms around
Mark, her temporary bus-riding companion, her
husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled
with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his
patience, and his love. She said good-bye, and
for the first time, they went their separate ways.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… Each
day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had
never felt better. She was doing it! She was
going to work all by herself.
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work
as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit the
bus, the driver said, “Boy, I sure do envy you.”
Susan wasn’t sure if the driver was speaking to
her or not. After all, who on earth would ever
envy a blind woman who had struggled just to
find the courage to live for the past year?
Curious, she asked the driver, “Why do you say
that you envy me?” The driver responded, “It
must feel good to be taken care of and
protected like you are.”
Susan had no idea what the driver was talking
about, and again asked, “What do you mean?”
The driver answered, “You know, every morning
for the past week, a fine-looking gentleman in a
military uniform has been standing across the
corner watching you as you get off the bus. He
makes sure you cross the street safely and he
watches until you enter your office building.
Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little
salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady.”
Tears of happiness poured down Susan’s
cheeks. For although she couldn’t physically
see him, she had always felt Mark’s presence.
She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a
gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn’t
need to see to believe-the gift of love that can
bring light where there is darkness.

SPECIAL EDITION! THE HOSPITAL WINDOW

Is the title of today's inspirational
message.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same
hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up
in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help
drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next
to the room’s only window. The other man had
to spend all his time flat on his back. The men
talked for hours on end. They spoke of their
wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their
involvement in the military service, where they
had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the
window could sit up, he would pass the time by
describing to his roommate all the things he
could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those
one hour periods where his world would be
broadened and enlivened by all the activity and
color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely
lake. Ducks and swans played on the water
while children sailed their model boats. Young
lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of
every color and a fine view of the city skyline
could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in
exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the
room would close his eyes and imagine the
picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window
described a parade passing by.
Although the other man couldn’t hear the band
– he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the
gentleman by th! e window portrayed it with
descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring
water for their baths only to find the lifeless
body of the man by the window, who had died
peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and
called the hospital attendants to take the body
away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other
man asked if he could be moved next to the
window. The nurse was happy to make the
switch, and after making sure he was
comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one
elbow to take his first look at the real world
outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the
window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse
what could have compelled his deceased
roommate who had described such wonderful
things outside this window
The nurse responded that the man was blind
and could not even see the wall.
She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage
you.”

DEDICATED TO YOU SISTER
Bernice Mabelyn Adams