The Seven Wonders of the World

A group of students were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. The following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear...
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

Lessons:

• The things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful things in life.
• We don't have to travel anywhere special to experience the Wonders of the World.
• The wonders of the world is around you.
• Never neglect the little things in life, like the dropping of the leaves and the breathing of the air.
• Enjoy your gifts and share them with the people around.
• Do something sociable and enjoyable every day.
• Be a blessing to all, especially to the body of believers. Amen.

Take Time To Love

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the Feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.

One day it was announced to the Feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?

"Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by. So Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh... Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

It takes time to love someone we care

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder.

So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going.

When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

Realizing how much she owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

Lessons:

• Of all Feelings, Love stays the longest.
• Richness has no space for Love.
• Vanity wouldn't take in Love.
• Sadness rejects Love.
• Happiness neglects Love.
• All others just past by Love.
  
• It takes Time to value Love.
  
• It takes Knowledge to reveal Love.
  

Please don't hesitate to Love. You may not realize how much you have lost if you're too late.

The Trouble Tree

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied." I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

He paused. "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Lessons

• Everyone has a trouble tree.
• We can't help having troubles on our job.
• Troubles don't belong in the house with our families.
• Don't bring troubles home.
  
  

Don't Stop Children From Growing Up

We always like to tell our children what or how they should think, feel or do. We remind them over and over again the things they must forgo and avoid. Like many others, we cannot resist measuring their progresses and achievements by our own yardsticks. But our guidance or assistance, and our overzealous and overpowering concerns do not seem to do much good. Family ties slowly deteriorate and weaken. This disrupts our relationship with one another. As time goes by, we suddenly realize that we become strangers.

We have learned important lessons from our past experiences. Sometimes, we have lived up to our expectations. Often we have fallen into great failures and depressions. Our past experiences make us what we are today. We are now of stronger character and able to stand strong. We expect our children to be like us and always listen to us. There goes a common saying that we eats more salt than the children eat rice.

It is hurting to behold our children fail in their endeavors. It is sad to watch them from afar struggling to match up to their race. But they refuse our assistance and our guidance because they want to act tough like their parents, not knowing that their parents were once as weak as them when they were young.

It is time to mend our relationships. Let us stop imposing our ways and values on our young ones. Let us rather stay beside them helping them to realize their vision, their interests and ambitions.

We take it for granted that what we have experienced have made us grow up. Most of us are conservative. Children must always respect and obey their elders. Failures to do so mean infidelity and rebellion.

We have done so much to discipline our young ones. We are scared that they may fall into similar troubles. But no matter how hard we try, we can never stop them from getting hurt and getting more scars both inside and outside.

Our life's scars remind us of our struggles, our victories and our failures. But they never stop us from facing the next life storm. If we are ready for any life storm, can't we rest assured that the Almighty God can carry our young ones through their next life storm?

A Salty Coffee

He met her at a party.

She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her while he was so ordinary, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but being polite, she agreed.

They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable. She thought, please, let me go home.

Suddenly he asked the waiter, "would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She asked him curiously, "why do you have this fetish?"

He replied: "when I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown. I miss my hometown so much. I miss my parents who still live there".

While saying that, tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart.

A man who can speak out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, and has responsibility of home.

Then she also started to speak, spoke about her far away home town, her childhood, and her family. They had a really nice talk and so also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found out that he was the man who met all her demands; he had tolerance, he was kind-hearted, warm, and careful. He was such a good person and she almost missed him!

Thanks to his salty coffee! Their story was just like every other beautiful love story. The princess married to the prince, and they were having a happy life.

Now, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, leaving her a letter which said:

"My dearest,

Please forgive me. Forgive my lie. This was the only lie I said to you − the salty coffee.

Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time. Actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change. So I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication!

I tried my best to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do so, because I had promised myself not to lie to you anymore.

Now I'm dying, I'm not afraid of anything anymore. So I decide to tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee. What a strange bad taste. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!

Seasoned Love

Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, I still want to know you and have you for the rest of my life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".

Her tears totally made the letter wet.

Someday, someone asked her: "what's the taste of salty coffee?"

"It's sweet." She replied.