Life and a Cup of Coffee
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf ball are the important things-- your faith, your family, your children, your health, your friends -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still befull.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Pray regularly and pay the poor rate. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house, fix the disposal, play 18 holes in golf and watch your favorite sport. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
When things go wrong...
Sometimes we wonder,"What did I do to deserve this", or "Why did God have to do this to me".
Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong...She's failing Algebra, and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack,and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."
"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies:"Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way,they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful! God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. If you like this, send this link tothe people you really care about.I hope your day is a "piece of cake!"Life may not be the smooth sailing we hoped for,but while we are here we might as well enjoy it.
Too Busy
I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work for bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees. My Muslim duty was now done, my soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Allah to friends, They’d laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, that was my constant cry.
No time to give to souls in need.
But at last the time, the time to die. I went before the Lord; I came and stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life. God looked into his book and said your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down... But never found the time"
So please take the time .... and send this link to your friends!