Answers from a Wise Father - R(A)

Sorry guys, no English version.

The Problem

"The problem with our Government in this country is that they are in this country. Can we ship them somewhere? Like Christmas Islands or something?"

- Unknown Author

Today's One-liner Humor

It is hard to understand how a cemetery raised its burial cost and blamed it on the cost of living.

The Lord Really Provides

Old Mrs. Watkins awoke one spring morning to find that the river had flooded the entire first floor of her house. Looking out of her window, she saw that the water was still rising. Two men passing by on a rowboat shouted up an invitation to row to safety with them.

"No, thank you," Mrs. Watkins replied. "The Lord will provide."

The men shrugged and rowed on. By evening, the water level forced Mrs. Watkins to climb on top of the roof for safety. She was spotted by a man in a motorboat, who offered to pick her up.

"Don't trouble yourself," she told him. "The Lord will provide."

Pretty soon, Mrs. Watkins had to seek refuge atop the chimney. When a Red Cross cutter came by on patrol, she waved it on, shouting, "The Lord will provide." So the boat left, the water rose, and the old woman drowned. Dripping wet and thoroughly annoyed, she came through the pearly gates and demanded to speak to God.

"What happened?" she cried.

"For cryin' out loud, lady," God said. "I sent three boats."

Always Know Where You Are

This looks a lot like some investors in the market now.

Things Happen For A Reason

I was reminded of a story about the reason we struggle sometimes.

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat & watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, & it could go no further. So to help the butterfly, He took a pair of scissors & snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body & small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge & expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of it's life crawling around with a swollen body & shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness & haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon & the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's wa y of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly.

Yes, your struggles & mine are here for a reason, some reasons. And did I tell you also, it's our destiny to soar! The cocoon of problems & difficulties are here for a while, but the strength it builds is here to stay.

Doubt & Action

"While we may be aware that our ability to choose our attitude is a major aspect of success, exercising this priveledge is vital. To overcome doubts & worries, welcome them as old friends reminding you that your accomplishments are only a few steps away. Doubt & action are incompatible, but without doubt, or any obstacle for that matter, what resistance would we meet? Without resistance, what motivation would we have to succeed?"

"In the beginning moments of any great accomplishment, there is a trace of doubt. It is in challenging this doubt that we begin to pile the wood & through action that we begin to light our fire."
- John Kanary

"Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother."
-Kalil Gibran

It's the Way You Take It

"Nothing in life is so hard that you can't make it easier by the way you take it."

Ellen Glasgow
1874-1945,
Novelist