An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God’s wings.

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise.

She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

Author Unknown

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…” (Psalm 91:4)

Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.”

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy was sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized they couldn’t recall what else the great master played. Only the classic “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

That’s the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren’t exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life’s work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Author Unknown

My grandma is already 87 years old but she’s still quite energetic. Just last week, she hung out with us and even made a little dance move to the delight of her grandkids. My grandma could no longer see with her right eye, and her left eye is blurry because of astigmatism. We already had it operated but it wasn’t very successful. While searching the web, I discovered an eye correcting procedure called Lasik. It uses laser to alter the curvature of the cornea, removing tissue that causes low to high levels of astigmatism, as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness. It’s what patients prefer compared to other methods, because it has only a few side effects and they tend to recover quickly. I was thinking maybe we could have our grandma undergo this procedure, but she says she’s not up to it anymore. It just makes me realize how important our eyes are, and we shouldn’t take them for granted.

I’ve heard of Vegas and Reno, I know that they’re the most visited destinations when it comes to fun and casinos. The third most visited, which I haven’t heard until now is Laughlin, Nevada. It’s supposed to be a friendlier, more family oriented alternative than Vegas and Reno, which are more adult-oriented. It’s popular as a resort destination and it offers outdoor and family activities for everyone. There are also laughlin hotels that provide luxurious accommodations. I’ve never been there, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself when given the chance to visit there. It sounds like a really nice and fun place. Have you guys been to Laughlin? What did you think about it?

My brother gave me a YouTube link this morning, saying I have to watch it because it’s the best video he’s ever seen. I was intrigued by his intro, so I watched the clip. Guess what, it sent goosebumps all over my body! This story has become so popular and is all over the Internet so I’m sure most of you might have come across this months ago, but it only just reached me now, and I felt compelled to post it here to share it with those who haven’t seen it yet.

It’s a story about an exceptional lion raised by two young Australian men, John Rendall and Ace Berg. They bought the lion cub from a store, they saw it was cramped and lonely in his cage, so they decided to bring the poor little guy home. They raised him as a pet, named him Christian, and it was the start of an amazing friendship and loyalty among the three. But when Christian grew bigger, they didn’t have a choice but to release him back into the wild. So they enlisted the help of George Adamson, the known “Father Of Lions“ and after some time, though it wasn’t easy, they were able to release Christian successfully into the wild.

After a year, Christian got accustomed to life in the wild and was even leader of their pride. John and Ace decided to visit him again, and despite warnings from George, that Christian might not recognize them anymore, they went ahead and sought their beloved lion. So what happened, you ask? Well, if you don’t know… you go find out for yourself by watching the video.

It’s such a heartwarming story about friendship, and how even a vicious animal like a lion is capable of love and affection. I have to admit, I was nearly moved to tears when I watched the video. If you haven’t heard of Christian, The Lion… you have to watch the video, and while you’re at it, you can watch the whole documentary dedicated to him too. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Copyright©2008angel

At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane’s departure and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, “I love you, I wish you enough.”She said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.” They kissed good-bye and she left.He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?” “Yes, I have,” I replied.

Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing.

“Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?” I asked.

“I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral, ” he said.

“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?”

He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.” He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.

“When we said ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them,” he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Good-bye.”

He then began to sob and walked away.

Author Unknown

My dad was complaining to me the other day about our sofa at home. According to him, it was getting dirty and boring. He told me that he was watching TV when he just noticed how boring and ordinary our couch has become. He wanted to buy a new one, but I advised him against it. I told him to buy slipcovers instead. It will give our sofa that whole new look at a cheaper cost. He thought about it and I could see he was seriously considering it. Personally, I love lounging on the sofa, and I think it’s great that our sofa at home is getting a nice makeover. It deserves a fresh new look, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.