ADPressions

The Little Innocent Girl


A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in a big store. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the big store. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom, let's run through the rain ," she said.

"What?" Mom asked.

"Let 's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain,"

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. "let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. A friend sent this to me to remind me of life. Hope you enjoy it.

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

Sent in by Patrick!

To Believe

To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning.
It is to trust that miracles happen,
and dreams really do come true.
To Believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds,
to know the wonder of a stardust sky and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,
The innocence of a child's eyes and the beauty of an aging hand,
for it is through their teachings we learn to love.
To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us.
When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.
To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.
"If only we believe"

by Deb

Published May 3, 2000 in The Fax Express

"The Story of the Little Grape Stem"

Once upon a time there was a little grape stem.  This stem was so glad to be alive.  She drank water and minerals from the soil and grew and grew.  She was young and strong and could manage quite well... all by Herself.

But then, the Wind was cruel, the rain was harsh, the snow was not one bit understanding, and the little grape stem suffered.  She drooped, was weak and suffering.

It would be so easy to stop trying to grow, to stop trying to live.  And the grape stem was poor!  The winter was long, and the stem was weary.

But then the little grape stem heard a voice.  It was another grape stem calling out to her...  "Here, reach out ... hang on to me."

But the stem hesitated.  "What would this mean?" she thought.  For you see, the little stem had always managed quite well, all by herself.

But then, every so cautiously, she reached out towards the other grape stem.

"See, I can help you" it said.  "Just wind your tendrils about me and I will help you lift your head."  And the little stem trusted ...and suddenly she could stand straight again.

The wind came ... and the rain ... and the snow, but when it came, the little grape stem was clinging to many other stems.  And although the stems were swayed by the wind ... and frozen by the snow, they stood strongly united to each other.  And in their untired strength ... they could smile and grow.

And then, one day the little stem looked down and saw a tiny stem, swaying, frightened. And our little grape stem said, "Here, hang on ... I will help you."

And the other stem reached up to our grape stem...  and together all the stems grew ... leaves budded ... flowers bloomed ... and finally, grapes formed  and the grapes fed many.

Although the author is unknown, this was published July 7, 2000 in The Fax Express.

The Perfect Prescription

No moving parts, no batteries.
No monthly payments and no fees.
Inflation proof, non-taxable,
In fact it's quite reliable.

It can't be stolen, won't pollute,
One size fits all, do not dilute.
It uses little energy,
But yields results enormously.

Relieves your tension and your stress,
Invigorates your happiness.
Combats depression, makes you beam,
Elevates your self esteem.
Your circulation it corrects
Without complicated side effects.

It is, I think, the perfect drug.
May I prescribe, my friend...

THE HUG!!!!

Published January 11, 2000 in The Fax Express

Have you ever felt like you just don't have what it takes? 

Watch this video!!!

From the movie "Facing the Giants".

Puppy Size!

“Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We’ve been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this,” the mother told the volunteer.

“What is it she keeps asking for?” the volunteer asked.

“Puppy size!” replied the mother.

“Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that’s what she’s looking for.”

“I know…we have seen most of them,” the mom said in frustration…

Just then Danielle came walking into the office

“Well, did you find one?” asked her mom. “No, not this time,” Danielle said with sadness in her voice. “Can we come back on the weekend?”

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

“You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there’s always a supply,” the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. “Don’t worry, I ll find one this weekend,” she said.

Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her.

They both felt she was being too particular. “It’s this weekend or we’re not looking any more,” Dad finally said in frustration.

“We don’t want to hear anything more about puppy size either,” Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren’t permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.

One by one she said, “Sorry, you’re not the one.”

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup.

The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

“Mom, that’s it! I found the right puppy! He’s the one! I know it!” she screamed with joy. “It’s the puppy size!”

“But it’s the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks,” Mom said.

“No not size —- the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,” she said.

“Don’t you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!”

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

“Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,” she said.

Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, “Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!”

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day.

They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. “Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

~~Virginia Haven~~

Thank you for sending this one in Sheri.

A Mother's Little Shadows

I saw a young mother
With eyes full of laughter

And two little shadows
Came following after.

Wherever she moved,
They were always right there

Holding onto her skirts,
Hanging onto her chair.

Before her, behind her-
An adhesive pair.

"Don't you ever get weary
As, day after day,

Your two little tagalongs
Get in your way?

She smiled as she shook
Her pretty young head,

And I'll always remember
The words that she said

"It's good to have shadows
That run when you run,

That laugh when you're happy
And hum when you hum -

For you only have shadows
When your life's filled with sun."

~~ Author Unknown ~~

Seize the Moment

I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched Jeopardy on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gasp and stammer, "I can't."

Check one:
"I have clothes on the line."
"My hair is dirty."
"I wish I had known yesterday."
"I had a late breakfast".
"It looks like rain".
And my personal favorite: "It's Monday".

She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect. We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating, as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my hips with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to .... Not something on your SHOULD DO list.

~Author Unknown~

Published July 18th, 2000 in The Fax Express

A DAILY CREED.

Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me.
Let me praise a little more,
Let me be, when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cherry.
Let me serve a little better,
Those that I am striving for,
Let me be a little braver
When temptations bid me weaver.
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.
Let me be a little meeker,
With the brother that is weaker,
Let think more of my neighbor
And little less of me.

 

Published March 7, 2000 in The Fax Express