HE LITTLE GIRL AND THE PIANO

A little girl wanted to become a great pianist, but all she could play on the piano was the simple little tune, "Chopsticks." No matter how hard she tried, that was the best she could do. Her parents decided after some time to arrange for a great maestro to teach her to play properly. Of course, the little girl was delighted.

When the little girl and her parents arrived at the maestro's mansion for the first lesson, they were escorted by the butler into the parlour, where they saw a beautiful concert grand piano. Immediately, the little girl dashed over to the piano and began playing "Chopsticks." Her embarrassed parents started across the room to tell her to stop, but as she played, the maestro entered the room and encouraged the little girl to continue.

The maestro then took a seat on the piano bench next to the little girl, listening to her play. After a moment he began to play along with her, adding chords, runs, and arpeggios. The little girl continued to play "Chopsticks." The parents couldn't believe their ears. They were hearing a beautiful piano duet, played by their daughter and the maestro, and amazingly enough, the central theme of it was still "Chopsticks."

At times you may feel like you're a nobody, that you will never accomplish great things. But think of that little girl. All she could play was "Chopsticks." Nobody wanted to hear "Chopsticks." It was an embarrassment to her parents and annoying to everyone else. Yet the maestro encouraged her to keep on playing.

God knows what you can do. He created you with gifts and talents. Sure, compared to some people's abilities, your gifts and talents may seem like "Chopsticks"-- not very original and not very spectacular. But God says, "Keep on playing--and make some room on the piano bench for Me." God is able to take the little that we are able to do and turn it into something beautiful for Him.

Adapted from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, © 1994 Youth Specialties, Inc.

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THE DREAMS OF THREE LITTLE TREES

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be travelling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!" The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful." she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveller fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Traditional folk tale

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"I still could see the sun"



I was in such a mood yesterday. I tell you this so that you realize that everyone faces challenges. I am an inspirational writer and speaker. I am human and fallible. But what I believed, the core of who I am, fought to break through the darkness of the attitude I had chosen for this day.

It was a combination of things, most of which I have permitted to fester beneath the surface, choosing not to deal with them and rid myself of the negative thoughts. I won't get into the details. I don't want to whine about it any more.

It all came to a head in the parking lot of a store I was about to enter. I called my wife and told her how overwhelmed I was but just couldn't explain why.

I've been here before, but I have developed thinking skills, mixed them with a strong faith and have always learned to rise above it all. I have to. I have a job to do, a life I love and since I believe I chose to be overwhelmed with life, I can also choose to put it all in perspective.

I headed home.

As I was preparing dinner it started to rain. I had just started the charcoal grill and I could easily have added this silly little coincidence to my collection of problems for the day. But I simply accepted it. No thunder and lightening, just rain gushing down on my plans.

I went about preparing the rest of the meal, choosing to believe that a little rain wasn't going to stop me from making dinner. It will eventually stop.

It did.

Had I chosen to rant and rave all day long I would have been half crazed by now. But I chose to believe it would all resolve itself.

Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds. It was a perfect opportunity for me to turn this day around completely. I would rely on a promise made and kept. A covenant, as it is called.

I rushed outside to find the rainbow. In the Bible the rainbow is used to remind us of the covenant between God and man.

I needed reminding.

I first headed out to the deck. Nothing in the sky. I then walked around to the left side of the house. Nothing.

I walked down my driveway and panned across the horizon. Still nothing.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement. You see I am a seeker of rainbows. I love to come across them by accident, but I also believe that these are treasured gifts, so one must hunt for treasure.

Once again, this piled atop all the other negative thoughts I danced with today, should have plunged me into a deeply depressing mood. But I shrugged it off.

The sun faded away.

Finally getting to all the grill work I had to do, I thought about what this day meant to me. Then, once again, the sun burst through. Not just a sneak peek but a sudden explosion of sunlight.

I paused and thought "Why waste your time?" Just write off this day and forget it.

But my curiosity got the best of me. I ran out to my front porch, scanning the skies....I saw nothing. A neighbor friend, who has been known to come charging out to search for a rainbow under the same conditions drove around the corner. As he pulled into his driveway he yelled, "Did you see it?"

"No, as things went today I was not meant to see one," I said.

"See one? You were one!" he said laughing.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I was coming down the highway and I saw this beautiful rainbow in the sky. I was excited because It looked liked it ended right near my home. I quickly drove up the road and as I turned the corner, there it was. It looked just like it was touching your house as you were standing on the porch," he said with excitement. "It was awesome!"

I couldn't believe what he was telling me. All along I was searching for something that, in reality, I was a part of already . I was a part of my neighbors rainbow. I was the sign that I was looking for. I was the reminder that I needed.

"Did you find a pot of gold?" he asked jokingly.

"I am the pot of gold I was looking for all day," I replied.

"I believe in You!"
~ Bob Perks ~

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This Is Good



An old story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.

As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way. As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean,'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you." "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28)

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear. If we love Him and live our lives according to His precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit.

Hold on, God is faithful! May God bless you this week as you seek His will in every situation.

Addendum -- Genius 50:20 (NIV) "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Unknown author

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Shake It Off and Step Up



A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' -- or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer felt sorry for the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and asked them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back: he should shake it off and step up! This is what the old mule did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!

You guessed it! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him, actually end up blessing him. All because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

Anonymous

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The last of all freedoms is the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.
G. W. Allport.