A Lone Stranger

The Terribly Sad Man Once there was a boy who lived in a big house on a hill. He loved dogs and horses, sports cars and music. He climbed trees and went swimming, played football and admired pretty girls. Except for having to pick up after himself, he had a nice life. One day the boy said to God, "I’ve been thinking, and I know what I want when I become a man." "What?" asked God. "I want to live in a big house with a porch across the front and two Saint Bernards and a garden out back. I want to marry a woman who is tall and very beautiful and kind, who has long, black hair and blue eyes, and who plays the guitar and sings in a clear, high voice. "I want three strong sons to play football with. When they grow up, one will be a great scientist, one will be a senator and the youngest will quarterback for the 49ers. "I want to be an adventurer who sails vast oceans and climbs tall mountains and rescues people. And I want to drive a red Ferr...

God's Cup of Coffee A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress." "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink." "What all of you really wanted was coffee, not...

The Precious Gift of Friendship Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they ha...

The Trouble Tree A man hired a carpenter to help him restore an old farmhouse. The carpenter had a rough first day on the job. First, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, then his electric saw quit. At the end of the day, his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While the man who hired him drove him home, the carpenter sat in stony silence. On arriving, the carpenter invited the man to come in and meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. Upon opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles as he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. After introducing the man to his family, the carpenter walked the man to the car. They passed the tree and the man’s curiosity got the better of him. He asked the carpenter about what he had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my ‘Trouble Tree’," the carpenter rep...

I Want To Relive I wanna relive those moments when my heart melted, When I lived my entire life in one beautiful moment, Those moments that enlivened my life & made it scented, And made my living spectacularly different. I wanna relive those magical moments once more... The moment when I first opened my eye, My Mom’s exhilarated eyes glanced through my heart, There was an unconditional adoration in that novel tie, And yes, what wonderful was that start. I wanna relive that affectionate moment once more... The moment when I walked my first step, And looked into that anxious eye, There was an unbelievable motivation for my tiny footstep, And hands waiting to hold me, on whom I could easily rely, I wanna relive that reliable moment once more... The moment when I gave my first exam, My Dad’s confident eyes assured me of success, There was an unsaid belief that told me that capable I am, And then I had to succeed for I had my dear ones for me to bless. I wanna...

Though the day is still in its nascent phase, the collective heaviness in our breath is felt as the muggy sky frowns down upon the world today. A week of rains and murky atmospheres both in daily and nightly lives has dripped this city in a sluggish glaze that leaves me wondering whether we really did avoid the end of days. The sky slivers in and out of a brown-hazy half-smile - one where you can't help but focus on the side that isn't smiling.  I can't help but focus on the grimace formed by hardened eyes whose colorless abyss sucks me into place I haven't been for a long time and don't care to return to. I can't help but wonder why I long for a velvety embrace from tentacles writhing around my wrists, my knees, cracking my joints. This mood has been permeating steadily through my subconscious and I feel the fragmentation from last week growing steadily more apparent. Some mornings, I awake to find a new face in the mirror - one that has returned form a nig...

11 Lessons For Life from Noah's Ark Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat. 2. Remember that we are all in the same boat. 3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. 4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 6. Build your future on high ground. 7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 9. When you're stressed, float awhile. 10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. 11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.