He led them forth by the right way

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why is it thus with me?" I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; to-day my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God's plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith--they are waves that wash you further upon the rock--they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David's words, so it might be said of you, "so He bringeth them to their desired haven." By honour and dishonour, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

"O let my trembling soul be still, And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will! I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, Yet all is well since ruled by Thee."

Reflect on this

Do you always remember what life was like before,

A blind girl hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If only I could only see the world, I will marry you.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'
he girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying:

'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, before they were yours, they were mine. '
This is how the human brain often works when our 'status changes'. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life Is a Gift. Today before you say an unkind word -Think of someone who can't speak.

• Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
• Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out for a companion.
• Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
• Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
• Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.
• Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
• And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
• But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without error and we all answer to the Divine.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and thank the Divine you're alive and still around.

A Time to Love

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me
to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.
She said I love you but I know this other woman
loves you and would love to spend some time with
you.
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was
my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years,
but the demands of my work and my three children had made
it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type
of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise
invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to be with you," I responded.
"Just the two of us."

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that
very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up. I was a bit
nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to
be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She
had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to
celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were
impressed, "she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear
about our meeting". We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant,
was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First
Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu.

Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there
staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips
"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she
said.

"Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation - nothing
extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other's life.
We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home.
"Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened
so suddenly that I did to not get to do anything for her.

Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant
receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance.
I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two
plates - one for you and the other for your wife.

You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time:
"I LOVE YOU!" and to give our loved ones the time that they
deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family.
Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till
"some other time."
Here's hoping today is better than yesterday and tomorrow.


"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"

Keep a Shark in Your Fish Tank

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they
did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan.
How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move.

The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized. Don’t create success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character” - Albert Einstein