AKAL BULUS

Pastor, saya mengaku dosa. Saya telah mencuri seekor ayam milik orang lain,"ucap Yakub kepada pastor.
"Wah tindakanmu itu salah besar."
"Maukah pastor menerima ayam itu?"
"Tentu saja tidak! Kamu harus mengembalikannya kepada pemiliknya."
"Tapi, pemiliknya menolak utnuk menerima kembali ayam itu, pastor."
"Oh, kalau begitu, ambillah ayam itu untukmu."
"Terima kasih, pastor."
Ketika pastor itu pulang kerumah, ia melihat jumlah ayam di kandangnya sudah berkurang. Salah seekor di antara ayam itu telah hilang.

Sumber: Setetes embun bagi jiwa, Timotius Adi Tan (Metanoia Publishing)

The Shoe Lady

By Melinda Neeley

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    One cold and dreary day, after having been held hostage indoors by the grip of winter, I decided to break loose from the prison of inclement weather and hit a shoe sale. I had grown weary of the preceding weeks of sun deprivation and needed something that would break the monotony of my life – something that would lift my spirits.

Shortly after I arrived at the shoe store, I carefully selected my two pairs of shoes for the "Buy One Pair, Get the Other Pair Half Price" deal and was ready to purchase. As I moved my way up to the checkout counter, a middle-aged woman carrying at least six boxes of shoes whisked past me, cut in line and advanced directly to the cashier. An exhausted looking young woman and a bubbly toddler, unmistakably the woman's daughter and grandson, stood by her side. 

I was already furious that the woman had cut line, when suddenly she fueled my anger even more as she began spewing out questions to the cashier like a volcano erupting with red-hot lava. She demanded details about every pair of shoes she had selected. 

"So, if I buy this pair, I can get these other ones half off?" the agitated shoe lady bellowed.
The cashier shook her head no.
"Oh, I guess it's always the cheaper pair that you get half off," the shoe lady said, thinking out loud in an intimidating voice that echoed throughout the store. 

As the cashier attempted to respond again, the anxious shoe lady began shouting an order to her daughter: "Stephanie, run get your baby another pair of shoes. Lord knows he needs all the shoes he can get!"

The dimply youngster, probably not much older than a year, immediately darted after his mother, wide-eyed and full curiosity. He playfully yanked at all of the boxes along the shelves as he wobbled down the aisle, amazed at this magical playhouse filled with colorful adornments for the feet. 

"Boo-Boo," the grandmother screamed at the toddler viciously, "if you don't get back here, I'll shoot you!" It was a shocking, bizarre statement that was full of contradiction. In one breath, she was calling her grandson by a pet name, and in the other she was threatening to shoot him. Everyone in the store was stunned by the gruesome comment. We all stood amidst the pin-drop silence and stared, wondering what histrionics might be next. 
Stephanie soon came back and handed her mother another pair of shoes. After balancing them on her stack, the boisterous shoe lady then asked the cashier, "Got any more of these in another color?" pointing to one of her boxes near the top of the stack.

"No," the cashier said, noticeably irritated by this time. "Only in black."
At this point, the shoe lady turned to me and said, "So sorry to keep you waiting sugar," and immediately went to other shelves to find more bargains to add to her toppling stack of boxes. The stack now resembled the Leaning Tower of Piza.

At that instant, I realized there had been complete sincerity in this woman's voice. She seemed truly sorry to hold me up, but her "impulsiveness" was creating this urgent need to grab up as many bargains as she could for her daughter, her grandson and perhaps herself. The adrenaline from it all had become so overpowering that it had taken over her actions, and caused her to blurt out ugly comments to her grandbaby that she absolutely didn't mean. She couldn't restrain herself. It was filling her with a combination of excitement, impulsiveness and compulsive behavior. 

She was overflowing with more questions for the cashier, and continued adding to her stack for at least 10 more minutes. Strangely, my anger towards her began to subside and transform into understanding and compassion. Although she "appeared" selfish, hasty and mean as she bellowed orders and kept customers waiting, her motives, I realized, were good.

I decided to entertain myself by looking at the purses near the checkout counter until the woman was finished with her mission.
When the shoe lady was finally certain she had gotten all of the bargains she could possibly afford, and had created a mountainous potpourri of shoes for her loved ones, she grabbed up her sacks of treasures and politely said to the cashier, "Thank you so much darlin'." 

Instantly, her stormy behavior transformed into calming seas of relief – every muscle in her face became relaxed; her breathing and erratic movements slowed. The impulsiveness had lost its grip on her body and spirit, and her mission was complete. The sweetness in her tone had flavored her speech so that the bitterness was gone. I knew she was truly sorry for holding everyone up.

I had a revelation that day. People aren't always what they seem. Sometimes those who exhibit a snappy, angry and inconsiderate spirit are simply so wound up by impulse, compulsiveness and stress that it's hard for them to restrain from their bad behavior. Does this mean we should always forgive and forget? I'm not sure. I do know that there are people who are mean down to the core and who know exactly what they are doing when ugliness pours forth from their mouths.

But every single one of us has God in them. Sometimes it is seems almost impossible to find Him, but He is there. Always. I also realized that day that there are also people who don't even know God is inside of them. They just have to be able to recognize Him in others first. That is when they are able to discover the God who lives within their soul. This woman had God in her "sole."

Friends are God's way of taking care of us

- By an Anonymous Metro Denver Hospice Physician

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    I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends. 

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. 

When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel. 

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. 

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying " don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me." 

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the Car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little. 

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City . Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. 

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. 

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?" 

This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people." 

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong. 

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings... 

Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." 

Full Moon

By Yogesh Goel

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As I sat on the park bench enjoying the cool night air and gazing at the people who were taking a break from the rest of the world, two young lovers passed me by. And I overheard the woman say, "Honey, why can't the moon always be this full and beautiful as it is tonight?"

He replied, "I don't know dear, but I am glad we were blessed enough to see another one together." And that made me, well at first shed a tear at their exchanged words, but then it made me ask myself, "Why doesn't it?"

Then, of course, knowing me, I thought and thought some more. Then I concluded, how can we ask the moon to constantly shine so beautiful night after night if we as humans can not find it in ourselves to do the same? Why can't we find what it takes to remain illuminating creatures when we bear witness time after time of the glorious dreams we have shown to be so capable of.

Why do we so often blow out our candles and let the darkness escape to cover up a portion of our glow? Do we cycle through our emotions the same as the moon? Or why can't we consistently find the peace and love that I can so clearly recognize in this young couple: the way they grip each others hand as if they never want to let go, the way they walk so slowly in rhythm with one another as if their heartbeats our setting the pace, and the way they stare at each other as if they have found the gateway to the soul in each other's eyes.

Then I think again: maybe we "can" control the moon's luster; it's wholeness. Just maybe if we can find it in our hearts ourselves to shine with such a radiance, then maybe, overtime will we begin to notice as we look towards heaven on a clear night that we shall see the moon as full and as bright as we ourselves choose to be. Maybe we only deserve to see this brilliance so often. And maybe only when enough people can accumulate over a cycle enough love, peace, and goodwill towards one another shall the moon dazzle us in all her beauty.

So now whenever I think the moon is going through her cycle again, I will tell myself, "No... She is waiting on us to go through ours."

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***************************************************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Yogesh Goel
Qualifications :
• Pursuing Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.), Calcutta University. (July 2002 - Till Date)
• Intermediate in Commerce (ISC) from Don Bosco School Liluah, India. (April 2000 – March 2002)

Computer Literacy :
• Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.
• Image Editing / Graphics – PhotoShop, Illustrator, PageMaker, Image Ready, Ulead Cool 3D, Xara Webstyle, Xara 3D
• Web Design - MS FrontPage & Dream Weaver.
• Operating System – Windows 98, ME, XP

Work Experience :
• Web Site Developer and Hardware Engineer – WebRangers. (January 2001 - till Date)
Responsibilities – Pioneered in formation of the firm, dealing with clients, developing Web Sites, assembling computers, and was head of the management team.

Courtesy - http://www.yogeshgoel.8m.com,www.immortalstories.8m.com/

Surat Cinta

Suami saya adalah seorang yang sederhana, saya mencintai sifatnya yang
alami dan saya menyukai perasaan hangat yang muncul di perasaan saya, ketika
saya bersandar di bahunya yang bidang.

Tiga tahun dalam masa perkenalan, dan dua tahun dalam masa pernikahan, saya
harus akui, bahwa saya mulai merasa lelah, alasan-alasan saya mencintainya
dulu telah berubah menjadi sesuatu yang menjemukan.

Saya seorang wanita yang sentimentil dan benar-benar sensitif serta
berperasaan halus.
Saya merindukan saat-saat romantis seperti seorang anak yang menginginkan
permen.
Tetapi semua itu tidak pernah saya dapatkan.

Suami saya jauh berbeda dari yang saya harapkan. Rasa sensitif-nya kurang.
Dan ketidakmampuannya dalam menciptakan suasana yang romantis dalam
pernikahan kami telah mementahkan semua harapan saya akan cinta yang ideal.

Suatu hari, saya beranikan diri untuk mengatakan keputusan saya kepadanya,
bahwa saya menginginkan perceraian.

"Mengapa?", tanya suami saya dengan terkejut.
"Saya lelah, kamu tidak pernah bisa memberikan cinta yang saya inginkan,"
jawab saya.

Suami saya terdiam dan termenung sepanjang malam di depan komputernya,
tampak seolah-olah sedang mengerjakan sesuatu, padahal tidak.


Kekecewaan saya semakin bertambah, seorang pria yang bahkan tidak dapat
mengekspresikan perasaannya, apalagi yang bisa saya harapkan darinya?

Dan akhirnya suami saya bertanya, "Apa yang dapat saya lakukan untuk merubah
pikiran kamu?"

Saya menatap matanya dalam-dalam dan menjawab dengan pelan,"Saya punya
pertanyaan, jika kau dapat menemukan jawabannya di dalam perasaan saya, saya
akan merubah pikiran saya :

"Seandainya, saya menyukai setangkai bunga indah yg ada di tebing gunung.
Kita berdua tahu jika kamu memanjat gunung itu, kamu akan mati.
Apakah kamu akan memetik bunga itu untuk saya?"

Dia termenung dan akhirnya berkata, "Saya akan memberikan jawabannya besok."

Perasaan saya langsung gundah mendengar responnya.

Keesokan paginya, dia tidak ada di rumah, dan saya menemukan selembar kertas
dengan oret-oretan tangannya dibawah sebuah gelas yang berisi susu hangat
yang bertuliskan ......

"Sayang, saya tidak akan mengambil bunga itu untukmu, tetapi ijinkan saya
untuk menjelaskan alasannya."



Kalimat pertama ini menghancurkan perasaan saya.

Saya melanjutkan untuk membacanya.

"Kamu selalu pegal-pegal pada waktu 'teman baik kamu' datang setiap
bulannya, dan saya harus memberikan tangan saya untuk memijat kaki kamu yang
pegal."

"Kamu senang diam di rumah, dan saya selalu kuatir kamu akan menjadi 'aneh'.
Saya harus membelikan sesuatu yang dapat menghibur kamu di rumah atau
meminjamkan lidah saya untuk menceritakan hal-hal lucu yang saya alami."

"Kamu selalu terlalu dekat menonton televisi, terlalu dekat membaca buku,
dan itu tidak baik untuk kesehatan mata kamu. Saya harus menjaga mata saya
agar ketika kita tua nanti, saya masih dapat menolong mengguntingkan kuku
kamu dan mencabuti uban kamu."

"Tangan saya akan memegang tangan kamu, membimbing kamu menelusuri pantai,
menikmati matahari pagi dan pasir yang indah. Menceritakan warna-warna bunga
yang bersinar dan indah seperti cantiknya wajah kamu."

"Tetapi Sayang, saya tidak akan mengambil bunga indah yang ada di tebing
gunung itu hanya untuk mati. Karena, saya tidak sanggup melihat air mata
kamu mengalir.

"Sayang, saya tahu, ada banyak orang yang bisa mencintai kamu lebih dari
saya mencintai kamu. Untuk itu Sayang, jika semua yang telah diberikan
tangan saya, kaki saya, mata saya tidak cukup buat kamu, saya tidak bisa
menahan kamu untuk mencari tangan, kaki, dan mata lain yang dapat
membahagiakan kamu."

Air mata saya jatuh ke atas tulisannya dan membuat tintanya menjadi kabur,
tetapi saya tetap berusaha untuk terus membacanya.

"Dan sekarang, Sayang, kamu telah selesai membaca jawaban saya.


Jika kamu puas dengan semua jawaban ini, dan tetap menginginkan saya untuk
tinggal di rumah ini, tolong bukakan pintu rumah kita, saya sekarang sedang
berdiri di sana menunggu jawaban kamu."

"Jika kamu tidak puas dengan jawaban saya ini, Sayang, biarkan saya masuk
untuk membereskan barang-barang saya, dan saya tidak akan mempersulit hidup
kamu. Percayalah, bahagia saya adalah bila kamu bahagia."

Saya segera berlari membuka pintu dan melihatnya berdiri di depan pintu
dengan wajah penasaran sambil tangannya memegang susu dan roti kesukaan
saya.


Oh, kini saya tahu, tidak ada orang yang pernah mencintai saya lebih dari
dia mencintai saya.

Itulah cinta, di saat kita merasa cinta itu telah berangsur-angsur hilang
dari perasaan kita, karena kita merasa dia tidak dapat memberikan cinta
dalam wujud yang kita inginkan, maka cinta itu sesungguhnya telah hadir
dalam wujud lain yang tidak pernah kita bayangkan sebelumnya.

Seringkali yang kita butuhkan adalah memahami wujud cinta dari pasangan
kita, dan bukan mengharapkan wujud tertentu.

Karena cinta tidak selalu harus berwujud "bunga"

The Magic of Your Beliefs

By Nick Arandes

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I'd like to share with you an inspiring true story. I had been wanting to move to Los Angeles, CA for the last several years. When I finally made the decision back in 1992, I had a few opportunities but every time I pursued them something would happen that would not allow me to leave. Back then I was in the process of writing my first manuscript of a book. In December, 1992 and January 1993, my book was in the early stages of editing. Even when my financial situation was really challenging, I was always able to keep working on it.

I did not have a computer or a type writer. I was doing everything on pen and paper. In February a friend of mine asked me if I was interested in renting an apartment in Los Angeles. (Is that not what I wanted?) I accepted and paid to hold it for two months. Unfortunately, I could not keep paying the rent because financially I hit bottom. (Resistance) I was broke. I even considered filing for bankruptcy.

I never gave up the idea of moving to Los Angeles. I simply understood that there must be a reason why my dream could not be manifested at that time. (Surrender) That same month, I went to a local comedy club in Miami, Florida. After my performance, the entertainment coordinator for a major cruise line saw me and asked me to call him at his office the next day. Working for the cruise line, they not only took care of all my travel expenses but I was generating between $800 to $1,400 a week in income.

Around July of that same year, my grandmother in Puerto Rico became very ill. Because the cruise line had ships in Puerto Rico, they would fly me back and forth between Miami and Puerto Rico so that I could visit my grandmother. Most of the time I would stay in Puerto Rico where I would join a ship for a couple of days and they would fly me back.
In October, my grandmother passed away and I had to take care of the funeral arrangements. Because I am an only child and my mother had died five years prior to my grandmother, all of a sudden I was overwhelmed with many responsibilities. Thanks to the cruise line, I could still make money while I was taking care of things at home in Puerto Rico.

That same month I got a call from a production company in West Palm Beach, Florida telling me that 20th Century Fox was interested in me for a television pilot. 20th Century Fox put me on a holding deal for $30,000. If I had moved to Los Angeles when I wanted to, it would have been difficult for me to handle the financial responsibilities that came my way.

As you can see, everything in life follows a perfect order. God wants the best for us. The Universe knew all the challenges I was going to face that particular year. But my dream was never denied. Besides, how could it possible be denied when it is not really me dream. It is God's dream. I am just the channel, just as you are, through which desires are transmuted into physical experience. All that was required from me at that moment was to move in the direction of my dream. So what is your dream? Do not concern yourself with details regarding how to make it happen because that is none of your business. Notice how the Universe made my dream come true in a way that I was not even expecting. Not only did I end up moving to California, but I moved with plenty of money in my pocket, a development deal and a manuscript.

Before closing I want you to be aware that when I mentioned earlier in the chapter that I was broke, I could have easily said poor. The reason I chose the word broke as opposed to poor, is because a person who is broke understands that he or she can figure out a way to generate income. On the other hand, someone who is poor has made a decision to remain that way. Poverty has nothing to do with economy or circumstances, it is a state of mind. Believe it or not, it is a personal decision. So be aware of how you talk to yourself.

In January of 1993 I was completely broke financially, ready to file bankruptcy. I had no work lined up, but by the end of that year I had made an annual income of $44.000. I traveled all over the Caribbean with all expenses paid, I got to stay in Puerto Rico with my grandmother, I ended up with a $30,000 development deal with 20th Century Fox and relocated to Los Angeles, California. That's the MAGIC of your beliefs!

---

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nick Arandes has written many articles. Some have been published in spiritual publications as well as online. His book on tape, All Your Dreams Are Meant To Be Fulfilled, has been endorsed by Dr. Deepak Chopra, Louise L. Hay and John and Jan Randolph Price just to name a few. His website is: www.fulfillyourdreams.com

Sistem Poin

Seorang pria meninggal dunia dan rohnya pergi ke Surga. Di gerbang Surga ia disambut oleh Petrus.

Petrus berkata, "Inilah syarat untuk masuk ke Surga. Engkau memerlukan 100 poin untuk masuk. Caranya, sebutkan semua perbuatan baik yang telah engkau lakukan semasa hidupmu. Tiap-tiap perbuatan baik akan diberi poin sesuai dengan derajat kebaikannya. Kalau engkau sudah mencapai 100 poin maka engkau berhak menjadi penghuni Surga."

"Baiklah," kata orang tersebut, "saya telah menikah selama 50 tahun dan tidak pernah berselingkuh maupun berbohong terhadap istriku walau di dalam pikiran sekalipun."

"Itu bagus," kata Petrus, "nilainya 3 poin!"

"Tiga poin?!" kata orang itu dengan sedikit kecewa. "Baiklah, saya selalu hadir dalam setiap kebaktian Minggu selama hidup saya. Saya selalu membayar perpuluhan dan mendukung penuh pelayanan pekerjaan Tuhan di gereja."

"Luar biasa!" kata Petrus. "Hal ini sudah pasti menghasilkan 1 poin."

"Satu poin?!?" keluhnya; sekarang ia benar-benar merasa cemas. "Saya menjadi pelopor dapur umum untuk orang-orang miskin di kota saya dan saya bekerja di tempat penampungan untuk para veteran perang yang tidak punya rumah."

"Hebat! Itu berarti engkau memiliki tambahan 2 poin lagi," kata Petrus.

"Dua poin!?" orang itu berteriak. "Dengan sistem penilaian seperti ini, satu-satunya cara untuk dapat masuk ke Surga hanyalah dengan kasih anugerah Tuhan!"

Petrus mengangguk dan berkata, "Tepat, 100 poin untuk engkau! Masuklah anakku."