JUGGLE BALLS

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
• Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
• Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
• Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
• Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
• Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
• Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together.
• Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
• Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
• Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
• Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
• Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
• Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

THE PARABLE OF THE WISE FARMER by Juan M. Flavier

The farmer was known in the barrio and in the whole kingdom as a wise man. In time, he earned the appellation as the wise farmer. He never wentto school but he had a native wisdom. His reasoning and logic were much admired.

One day, the wise farmer accidentally found a ruby stone as big as a cashew nut. He did not know where to return it so he decided to hold on to the precious stone. He knew the matter of the loss would soon be publicized.

True enough, a proclamation was made announcing the loss of the ruby of the Emperor. The stone was part of the royal crown.The decree included a handsome reward if the finder returned the stone within 30 days. Beyond that period, the holder would be beheaded. The wise farmer heard the decree but decided to return the stone on the 31st day. Facing the Emperor, the wise farmer bowed his head and handed the ruby to its rightful owner. "Did you not hear my decree limiting the return within thirty days for the handsome reward?'' roared the Emperor.
"And that beyond that period meant death?''
"Yes, your Highness,'' answered the wise farmer meekly.
"I heard the proclamation on the first day. But I decided to return the ruby on the thirty-first day for a definite reason. If I returned it within the thirty-day period, you may say I did so out of fear. I returned it today and I did so because of my God who taught me to be honest.''
"Blessed be your God,'' exclaimed the Emperor. "Now you have to show me your God otherwise I am compelled to execute you.''
"Very well,'' said the wise farmer, "I will do it at high noon tomorrow, your Highness.''

At exactly midday at the palace porch, the Emperor and his court summoned the wise farmer. "Now show me your God,'' he commanded.
"Your Highness please gaze directly at the sun above for five minutes and you will see my God.'' The Emperor and the whole court looked up. But after a few seconds, everyone's eyes smarted with great pain.
"I cannot do it!'' exclaimed the Emperor.
"In that case, you cannot see my God,'' explained the wise farmer. "If you cannot gaze at the brilliance of the sun, then you cannot look to the splendor of God.''

The Emperor was insulted by the words of the wise farmer. "For this I should have you beheaded immediately. But for returning the ruby I will give you a fair chance to be saved by your God. I will put two pieces of paper in a box. On one will be written the word Guilty' and on the other, 'Innocent.' Whichever you pick is your verdict.''

The wise farmer knew that both pieces of paper would bear the word "Guilty.'' It was the Emperor's way to make sure he was beheaded. It was also a way to discredit his God. The court attendant brought the box to the wise farmer who picked one piece of paper. Quickly he placed the paper in his mouth and swallowed it.
"Why did you do that?'' screamed the court attendant.
"Now how can we determine your verdict?''

"Very easy,'' replied the wise farmer. "Just look at the other piece of paper remaining in the box. Whatever it says is the opposite of what I picked and swallowed earlier.''

The court attendant retrieved the slip of paper from the box and read out, "Guilty!'' Which proved that the wise farmer was indeed innocent.
__________________

"When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes you will be given what you are to say.

For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you" (Matthew 10:19-20).

"The Lord is the salvation of the righteous; in time of distress, he is their refuge" (Psalm 37:39)

A GLASS OF MILK - PAID IN FULL

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”
Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

PEARLS OF WISDOM

* Don't love the Heart that hurts you and don't hurt the Heart that loves you.
* Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.
* Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
* Most people walk in and out of your life, but only friend's leave footprints in your heart.
* True friendship "never" ends. Friends are forever.
* People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
* If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere.
* The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.
* A change of heart changes everything.
* Our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.
* You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough.
* One generation plants trees, and the next enjoys the shade.
* It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.

OLD WEST JUSTICE (What You Sow,What You Reap)

A man in the Old West was being tried for stealing a horse.
You need to remember that stealing a horse in the Old West was a very grave and serious offense. A person could be hanged if found guilty of such a deed.
It so happened that the man whose horse had been stolen had always made it a point to get the best of any person with whom he had any dealings(mapanglamang). He had never tried to do anything good for anyone other than himself.Consequently, the man whose horse had been stolen didn't have a single friend in the entire town. The case was tried and presented to the jury.
The evidence against the accused man was pretty strong. After about thirty minutes of deliberation, the jury returned to the court chambers.
"Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" the judge asked. The chairman of the jury stood up. "Yes we have, your honor," he replied.
"What is your verdict?" inquired the judge.
There were a few moments of silence and then the chairman spoke. "We find the defendant(accused) not guilt if he will return the horse."
After the judge had silenced the laughter in the courtroom, he admonished the jury. "I can not accept that verdict," said the judge. The jury went back into their room to deliberate toward another verdict. No member of the jury had any particular liking for the man whose horse had been stolen. At one time or another he had gotten the best of each of them. About an hour passed before the jury could reach another verdict. They re-entered the courtroom. They took their place in the jury box and the courtroom grew silent.
"Gentlemen of the jury," began the judge, "have you reached a verdict?" The chairman of the jury stood up.
"Yes we have, your honor," he replied. "What is your verdict?" asked the judge.
The courtroom was totally silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone eagerly awaited the verdict. The chairman read the decision reached by the twelve good men, tried and true.
"We find the defendant(accused) not guilty, and can keep the horse!
The courtroom burst into laughter!

MORAL OF THE STORY:
If you spend your life trying to take advantage of others, never caring about them in any way except what you can get from them or what they can do for you, you will end up a loser, like the man who lost his horse.
If you desire a friend, then be a friend.
If you desire for other people to help you, then help other people.
If you desire justice at the hands of others, then practice justice towards them.
Regardless of what you may think, the Biblical admonition is true. We do reap what we sow

THINK OF THOSE WHO LOVE YOU

If someone should hurt you and say a thing unkind...
Remember what I write to you and keep these thoughts in mind.

For everyone who makes you cry, there are three to make you smile...
And a smile will last a long, long time, but a tear just a little while.

Don't let someone who hates the world cause you to have it too...
Behind the clouds is a Golden sun, and a sky that's full of Blue.

If someone said a thing that's cruel, don't let it get to you...
Your achievements are greatly numbered and your faults are very few.

So if a certain person should act a certain way...
Think of those who love you and don't let is spoil your day!

LIFE IS CHANGING (And Through It All I Have Learned)

I've learned that no matter what happens,
or how bad it seems today, life does go on,
and it will be better tomorrow.


I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person
by the way he or she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage,
and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of the differences
you have with the people in your life,
you'll miss them when they're gone.

I've learned that making a "living"
is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes
gives you a second chance.



I've learned that you shouldn't go through life
with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness,
it will elude you.

But if you focus on your family, your friends,
the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can,
happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something
with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains,
I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should
reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch --
holding hands, a warm hug,
or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that you should
pass this on to someone you care about.
Sometimes they just need a little something
to make them smile.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

VALUE

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.


Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

LIFE STILL HAS A MEANING

If there is a future there is time for mending-
Time to see your troubles coming to an ending.


Life is never hopeless however great your sorrow-
If you're looking forward to a new tomorrow.


If there is time for wishing then there is time for hoping-
When through doubt and darkness you are blindly groping.


Though the heart be heavy and hurt you may be feeling-
If there is time for praying there is time for healing.

So if through your window there is a new day breaking-
Thank God for the promise, though mind and soul be aching,


If with harvest over there is grain enough for gleaning-
There is a new tomorrow and life still has meaning.

~ Author unknown~

THE VALUE OF SMILE

A smile cost nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the home,
fosters good will in business,
and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary,
cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,
for it is something that is of no value to anyone
until it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile,
Give them one of yours,
as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE

* Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.
* Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.
* Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
* You can only go as far as you push.
* Actions speak louder than words.
* The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love somebody else.
* Don't let the past hold you back; you're missing the good stuff.
* Life's short. If you don't look around once in a while, you might miss it.
* A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.
* If you think that the world means nothing, think again. You might mean the world to someone else.
* When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there
* True friendship never ends.
* Friends are forever.
* Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
* Don't frown. You never know who is falling in love with your smile.
* What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?
* NOBODY IS PERFECT UNTIL YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM. (Isn't that the truth?)
* Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

Most people walk in and out of you life. But only True friends leave footprints in your heart.

Send this on to everyone special in your life, even the people who really make you mad sometimes. Whether we realize it or not, everyone we know is very special to us.

When we look back on our younger years, we will remember the people who went to school with us, the people who made us laugh, the people who hung out with us when nobody else would, and the people who made our lives much better simply by being a part of it.

There may be somebody who is thinking about you RIGHT NOW and wishing that you were around. That's the wonderful thing about friendship-you always feel loved and cared about.

The most important thing to remember is... Always appreciate the friends that you have.

A fight may come and go very easily, but a friendship could last forever.

For every second spent in anger, a minute of happiness is wasted. So send this to your friends and let them know that you care.

SAND AND STONE

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE

GIVE A LITTLE SMILE

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive,
without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty
that he can get along without it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
fosters good will in business,
and is the countersign of friendship.


It brings rest to the weary,
cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and it is natures best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged,
borrowed, or stolen,
for it is something that is of no value
to anyone until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours,
as none needs a smile so much
as he who has no more to give.