Some Assembly Required

My co-worker, Eli, regularly shares his daily offerings from the Pastor's Parlor with me.  I particularly like this one.

Good Sabbath morning to all, many of us have purchased at least one of those boxes marked 'some assembly required', and for some it led to the promise to never do it again. With each one comes a book, or sheet of basic instructions for assembly before use. After my first few purchases of such products I found that it was beneficial (to say the very least) to read the instructions before attempting to assemble the product. One of these first purchases was a simple wagon for one of my children, and the parts were few in number, so in my wisdom I glanced at the booklet (three pages) set it aside, and proceeded to the task. The tires all looked the same, and indeed they were, except there was an inside and an outside aspect to each one I failed to notice. After the wheels were put on there was a "locking nut" to be driven on the axle's end to hold it there, and as I later found out, there is a very good reason they called it a "locking nut". The evidence of my folly was made clear as my child pulled the wagon down the sidewalk, because the front wheel on one side and the back wheel on the other were not working well with the others. What had I done wrong? Though the mishap was possibly unnoticed by the children, it was clear to me, so while they played, I went in and read the instructions, only to find that I had to turn the two odd wheels around. That's when the problems started! It seems those "Locking Nuts" don't come off as easily as they go on! After much ado (and completely destroying one of those "nuts"), I sought the help of my father, hoping he had assembled a couple in his days, and in time, with expense (a new nut) he solved the problem. This all may seem a little trivial, but the importance of reading the instructions before, and during the assembly process is anything but trivial dear ones, it is necessary. There can be no doubt that we are 'some assembly required' at our birth, and believe it, there is a manual! Its called the Bible, or "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It is true that the parts don't come off as easily as they are put on, and that for all of us, some have been installed without the use of the manual. Some by ourselves, and some by others helping us along the way, but from my experience I can assure each of you repair is possible. Lean not unto your own understanding, but in all ways seek the knowledge and the help of the Lord our God; He is the manufacturer! Read the book! Find the many mistakes and then trust the Father who has fixed so many of His children's mistakes. We didn't read the instructions first, but the "Book" is still here, and will forever be here for us. Our assembly remains incomplete, and it remains good counsel to refer to the manual often as the assembly progresses. The book is complete to be sure, all the instructions are there, yet the Fathers wisdom is found in discussions with Him, when we do not understand the manual. There is no new error which He has not solved, or that He would have to look into, after all, He wrote the "Book". "Let not a man think more of himself (herself) then he ought", but so many do, casting aside the instructions, and going through life with wobbly wheels; let us each resolve to set aside a time each day to read the manual, AND seek our Fathers help through prayer. Perhaps our play will be a little easier as our "life's wagon" becomes a little more manageable through attention to the "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" (B-I-B-L-E!) each day.  "Cics,ayr?"





I wondered and wondered what "Cics, ayr?" means.  Looked it up on the internet to no avail.  Finally I asked Eli.  It means, "Christ is coming soon, are you ready?"

MYSPACE FACEBOOK: A Must Read for All

MYSPACE FACEBOOK: A Must Read for All 

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO! 

After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy Listand saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:

ByAngel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today.. It was really weird!

GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?

ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.

GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?

ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.

GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game after school today?

ByAngel213:
Yes and we won!!

GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?

ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL

GoTo123:
What is your team called?

ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.

GoTo1 23:
Did you pitch?

ByAngel213:
No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me.. Bye!

GoTo123:
Catch you later. Bye

Meanwhile........GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina

Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.

Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.

By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.

Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.

He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.

After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.

Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car..

Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go toShannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. 

"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. 

"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."

Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today! 

"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked. 

"No," Shannon answered. 

"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."

Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"

The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze." 

Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"

He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?" 

She nodded.

"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line... Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"

"It's a promise!"

That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation. 

Shirley and Marcy

Shirley & Marcy 

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school.

He didn't want his mother to walk with him.

She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. 
So she had an idea of how to handle it.  She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her.

She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew.  She did this for the whole week. 

As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.  Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week?  Do you know her?'

Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.'

The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?'

'That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy.'

'Shirley Goodnest?  Who is she and why is she following us?'

'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much.  And in the Psalm, it says, ' Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. 

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always.

- thank you, Holly P for sharing this.

The Invisible Mother

Thanks to Elaine L. for passing this on.  I don't know who wrote this or if it is true, but it is a good thought.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover

what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could

pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have

no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a

work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and

expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their

faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the

cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird

on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you

spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by

the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because God

sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almost

as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you

make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've

baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to

notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see

right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of

the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work

on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went

so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime

because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's

bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the

morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3

hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a

monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there

is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it

there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're

doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,

not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the

world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.