THE DONKEY STORY: A STORY YOU MUST READ.

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried distressingly for hours as the
farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well
needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited his entire neighbour’s to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to
shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement
he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.

With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing: He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbour’s continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!!!! Wow…..

MORAL : Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to
shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

My prayer: May every trouble of ours become a stepping stone to our victory - Say amen and share.

Surgeons reconstruct baby’s skull with 3D printing technology

By Loren Grush-Fox info

• 
  Before and after models of Gabriel's skull (ASSOCIATED PLASTIC SURGEONS)
• 
  3D printed templates utilized during surgery. (ASSOCIATED PLASTIC SURGEONS)

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When baby Gabriel was born in August, his dad, Manuel Dela Cruz, said everything initially seemed fine with his new son. It wasn’t until a week after his birth that Gabriel’s parents thought their son’s forehead looked abnormal.

“We noticed something was wrong with him,” Dela Cruz, of East Quogue, N.Y., told FoxNews.com.  “His eye wasn’t the same, and his right forehead was more protruded than the other one.”

Worried for their son’s health, the new parents took Gabriel to a pediatrician, who diagnosed the newborn with unilateral coronal synostosis – also known as anterior plagiocephaly.  For babies with this condition, a growth plate fuses prematurely on one side of the skull, causing the forehead to become more and more distorted and form asymmetrically.

Although the side effects of plagiocephaly are mostly cosmetic, the deformity can grow significantly worse if left untreated – leading many parents to opt for reconstructive surgery.  Knowing what needed to be done, Dela Cruz said it was frightening to have their son undergo an operation at such a young age.

“You obviously fear the worse, especially because it was in the head,” Dela Cruz said. “Knowing he was going to be opened up…it was very scary on the part of the parent.”

In order to treat Gabriel, physicians at Stony Brook University decided to try a completely new kind of operation – one that would cut down on the time the infant spent in the operating room.

Through a collaboration with Medical Modeling Inc. in Golden, Colo., Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Elliot Duboys were able to virtually plan the entire surgery beforehand.  Additionally, the company created 3D printed before-and-after models of Gabriel’s skull for the surgeons, so they could accurately predict how the operation’s results would look.

“The first thing we do, after we make a diagnosis, is a CT scan of the baby’s head… and we sent the CT image to [Medical Modeling],” Egnor, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, told FoxNews.com. “Using a computer program, they simulated the baby’s skull with the symmetry and dimensions it should have.  Then the company manufactured these templates and sent them to us, so we had the exact measurements.”

Knowing exactly how the skull should look after the procedure, 6-month-old Gabriel was brought in for surgery and placed him under anesthesia.  In order to get to the deformed bone, the surgeons made an incision across the top of Gabriel’s forehead, exposing the entire front of the skull and eye sockets.

Through the use of a special saw, the surgeons removed four pieces of deformed bone and made special cuts in the skull to help reshape and restructure the baby’s head.  In an attempt to make the remodeling more precise, Egnor and Duboys utilized the 3D printed templates provided by Medical Modeling, which helped to highlight where the surgeons needed to make their incisions.

“They sent us cutting templates, which were pieces of 3D modeling that we were able to place on the child’s skull during surgery,” Duboys, associate professor of surgery  at Stony Brook Medicine, told FoxNews.com. “And then we just traced where the cuts should be on the skull, almost like a stencil… And then we know where to cut.”

Both Egnor and Duboys said the 3D modeling technology helped to cut down on the length of the procedure, which meant Gabriel spent far less time under anesthesia than during traditional surgery.  They hope more surgeons will utilize this 3D imaging and modeling to perform reconstructive surgeries in the future.

“I think it’s going to become, over time, acknowledged as the best way to do procedures of this nature,” Egnor said. “I was hopeful that this would work nicely, and it made a believer out of me.”

As for Gabriel, Dela Cruz said his son will still need to wear a helmet to reshape his forehead.  But overall, he responded extremely well to the surgery and his forehead is not as protruded as it once was.

“There are no side effects, and he’s a normal baby,” Dela Cruz said. “…Gabriel responded very good to the procedure, and three or four days after, he was joking and playing.  It was great seeing him that way.”

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

Stolen 1957 Chevy returned to owner in California after 30 years

Source: Fox info

• 
  February 18, 2014: Skip Wilson poses in front of his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that was stolen in 1984 and returned to him by the California Highway Patrol. (AP)

LAKEPORT, CALIF. –  Three decades after it was stolen, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air has been returned to a Northern California man -- in better shape than when he originally owned it.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports Ian "Skip" Wilson was shocked to get a call from the California Highway Patrol informing him that his long-lost Chevy was taken off an Australia-bound cargo ship.

The 65-year-old says the car has had a lot of work done on it since it disappeared from his Lake County home in 1984. It was returned with a monogrammed interior, 17-inch racing wheels, rack-and-pinion steering and a 350-horsepower V-8 engine.

The retired mechanic says the two-door was in sorry shape when he bought it for $375 in 1975 with plans for fixing it up.

Waiter accidentally throws out huge tip from ‘Tips for Jesus’

Source: Fox info

• 
  Ron Kinney, 67, who waits tables at the French Quarter Restaurant in West Hollywood (picture here), said that he had no idea that the huge tip was serious. (FRENCH QUARTER RESTAURANT)

A Los Angeles waiter says he accidently threw out a receipt with a several thousand dollar tip left to him by the mystery mega-tipper known as “Tips for Jesus.”

Ron Kinney, a 67-year-old waiter at French Quarter Restaurant in West Hollywood, claims he lost the tip over the holidays last year and it was for either $4,000 or $7,000 on a bill that was no more than $50. He doesn’t remember the exact amount because he assumed the large tip was a mistake and immediately tossed out the receipt.

“I was pretty naive, I guess,” Kinney told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I thought it was someone who had a drink too many and didn’t realize what they were doing...We see this all the time. People make mistakes.”

Touting himself as “doing the Lord’s work, one tip at a time,” the mystery diner, who is rumored to be former PayPal Vice-President Jack Selby, uses a Twitter and Instagram account to document generous tips left to everyday wait staff and bartenders.

In an attempt to encourage others to tip big,"Tips for Jesus" ran a Project Christmas Eve campaign during the holidays – the same time Kinney claims to have tossed his tip.

“The money would sure have come in handy for me to help for retirement. We have no such plan at work,” Kinney said.

The Chronicle does note that no receipt from the French Quarter Restaurant has been posted in the past 17 weeks to the “Tips for Jesus” Instagram account.

Vegetarian actress Ashley Bell likes to eat hot dogs--her way

By Ashley Dvorkin-Fox

• 

While eating healthy can sometimes be a struggle, there are some simple ways to make it a little easier and still indulge once in awhile. 

Actress Ashley Bell, star of the new film “Love & Air Sex”, is a lifelong vegetarian who loves to cook. She stopped by FoxNews.com to share some of her meatless healthy-eating secrets.

Bell: I love seitan (wheat gluten).  It's a great textured kind of a protein, and you can season it any which way.  It is so fast and easy to make. You get seitan at Whole Foods or Ralph's or whatever grocery store, I think Ralph's is an LA thing.  You put it in a pan with a little olive oil, sprinkle some rosemary on it, a little lemon juice, and you have a lemon chicken. And it works! It’s so good.

If experimental proteins aren’t for you, no need to worry.  According to Bell, you don’t have to be boring to eat right.

Bell: My boyfriend, he actually used to be a big meat eater and he's a vegetarian as well and what we've had a lot of fun with is we make vegetarian junk food. So we'll make veggie hot dogs and then put vegetarian bacon on them, and vegan cheese, and some chili and you can really deck em' out and you can have your "splurge day" while still being quite healthy.

Kicking the bad eating habits just got a lot yummier. 

See www.gooddeedsmall.com for your natural remedies 

The Secret to Dating Discovered

The world has changed.  Did you know that in the past three years 1 in 5 relationships has started on an online website?  Not only that, but dating websites are responsible for 33% of second marriages!  It is unbelievable to think more people today meet online than at bars and parties combined.

Today, online dating has become a huge, highly developed industry.  If you haven't tried it recently, you might be in for quite a surprise at how sophisticated and effective certain online dating services have now become.

And one company in particular, Match.com has grown to become the pre-eminant online dating service.

So, why are so many intelligent, successful singles meeting other great singles online today?

Firstly, online dating lets you get to know the basics about someone before deciding if you want to invest any time in them.  And, studies have proven that communicating online before meeting someone face-to-face significantly reduces the stress involved in your first meeting, leading to more great first dates.

The online dating process also lets people spot potential red flags before they set up a date.  It sure beats getting involved with someone and then discovering something that’s a real deal-breaker for you.

And, contrary to what some may think, research has also shown that people are generally honest about themselves online.  Most people know they will have to expose themselves at some point, so they choose to be honest, rather than disingenuous, when creating their online profiles.

Industry leader Match.com, which was launched in 1995, specializes in creating romantic opportunities so that singles are more likely to find someone special. Over the years, they've continued to refine their tools in order to take the lottery out of love.

One of the reasons the service is so successful is because they give singles the opportunity to express themselves and find potential online matches for free.  They allow new members to set up a profile that can include up to 26 photos, as well as selected preferences regarding the person they’re searching for.  

Then, tell Match.com a little about yourself and what you're looking for in a partner and relationship.  With the click of a mouse, you instantly get to see photos and read about potential matches in your area; all free and incredibly easy.

When you subscribe, you become entitled to view all the photos of singles you are interested in, send unlimited emails, and even see who's been viewing your profile and shown an interest in you. You have more choices, more ways to connect, and more chances to find your love match.

Match.com puts a lot of emphasis on member privacy and integrity. All communication between members on Match.com happens through an “anonymous” email network. The names and contact information of all members are kept confidential until the member personally decides to share the information with a potential match. And, every profile and photo is screened by the site before it’s posted online.

Who can you meet on Match.com? People just like you, in your local area.  But, also much more!  Match.com members form a diverse, global community of singles who share common goals—to meet other singles, find dates, form romantic relationships, and meet life partners.

What is your own experience? your comments please

Source: Life works, Match.com 

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

Get Celebrity-Style Eyebrows Instantly!

While women spend a lot of time on mascara, it’s the eyebrows that can really make a difference in a woman’s appearance.  Eyebrows not only frame a woman’s face and accentuate her bone structure, but when they’re done right, they add a youthfulness to one’s look that no mascara, eye shadow, or eyeliner can.

Along with gorgeous, unmarred skin, full, healthy-looking eyebrows are a characteristic that’s pretty much ubiquitous amongst young Hollywood’s most famous starlets.

Case-in-point: Megan Fox. The Transformers and This Is 40 actress has one of the most coveted eyebrows out there, and women hoping to have a similar look will sometimes go to ridiculous lengths to get similar eyebrows. 

In Hollywood, many women are now spending up to $8,000 for a surgical procedure called "The Megan." It delivers big eyebrows by transplanting hair follicles from the back of a woman's scalp to her forehead, where they grow just as they would on the back of head.

Clearly, this approach is not for everyone.

But, it does point to a problem—if only getting full, beautiful brows were an easy task. It’s unfortunate, but most of the pencils, powders, and gels on the market are not only complicated to use — they just don’t look natural. Nobody wants to walk around looking like their brows have been drawn on with a sharpie.

Now, however, for those of us who aren’t so handy with the eyebrow pencil, there’s some really good news. There’s an exciting new product on the market called SmartBrow that’s flying off the shelves at an amazing rate.

It will forever change the way you look at eyebrow makeup for a lot of reasons.

Firstly, SmartBrow is super-easy for anyone to apply—and that’s only the beginning.

SmartBrow is also waterproof, smudge proof and transfer proof — so it will stay on for up to 24 hours after just one application.

But, even better than that are the results!

SmartBrow can turn even the sparsest of brows into gorgeous, supermodel-quality arches. And whether you’re a brunette, a blonde, or have all black hair, there’s a shade that’s perfect for you.

SmartBrow is an innovative, tinted filler that features a unique combination of polymers that bind to your eyebrows without having to use brow pencils, brow powders, or permanent cosmetics. Plus, it features a dual-ended brush to ensure precise application and optimal shaping. SmartBrow enhances eyebrows that have lost their shape due to over-tweezing, and helps them appear healthier, fuller, and natural-looking. It's also easily removed with the SmartBrow Cleanser, which is included with the product.

And, the best news of all? Right now, this must-have brow filler is available at a huge discount from the online beauty retailer DermStore. For a limited time, you can get SmartBrow at just 51% off its regular price! They’re also offering a free gift AND free 1-3 day shipping. It doesn’t get much better than that!

You spend so much time on your mascara—see what a huge difference a tiny bit of effort with SmartBrow can make.

Source: Life Works, Beauty Tips US 

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

Why you should drink more Champagne

By Tracy Byrnes-Fox

• 

Economist John Maynard Keynes once said that his only regret in life was that he “did not drink more Champagne."

Understandable.  Too many of us save it for special occasions.

But talk to your sommeliers and ask them what’s the first thing they pour after a long day at the “office.”  Yep.  Champagne.

Why? Because it cleanses your palate and your day, says Belinda Chang, Champagne educator at Moët & Chandon.

And that’s exactly what she did.  She educated me.

Did you know that with the right stopper, you can re-cork Champagne once its open?

Did you know it is made from a different grapes, like Chardonnay,Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

And since champagne is actually a wine, it should be served in a white wine glass.

The Champagne we know and love comes exclusively from the Champagne region of France and claims the honor of being the most famous of the sparkling wines (which I tend to agree).

Bubbly from all other regions in the world are simply referred to as "sparkling wine," though every region has its fancy name. Spain's is called Cava, and Italy's bubbles come in Prosecco and Moscato d'Asti.

But champagne is a wine, so serve it as such. 

Chang is a James Beard Award-winning sommelier who has done it all in the wine world, from creating global wine lists that won awards from Food & Wine Magazine and the Wine Spectator to penning the wine notes for famous cook books, including the late Charlie Trotter’s Meat and Game.

But her heart now is deep in a bottle of bubbly.  And thankfully, she brought four from Moët & Chandon  with her the day I had the pleasure of meeting her: the Impérial Brut, the Imperial Rosé Brut,  2004 Grand Vintage Brut and the 2004 Grand Vintage Rosé Brut. 

All fabulous but I have to admit -- I’m loving the pink stuff these days.

So while you may not agree with Keynes’ economic theory, you really can’t argue with his thoughts on champagne.

Don’t live life with regret like he did. Drink more champagne.

Cent’ Anni 

Do you agree? send in your comments...

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

AMAZING... Love is Love!!!!!.

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.

She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.

“No”, she said. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!” The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a House together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!

Share this with your friends
Source: Love story

Back in 1932, I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago’s Southside. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn’t want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.

However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.

The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED. People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was “Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead.”

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve Him any more or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well.

But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died. From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him.

But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Frye, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Madam Malone’s Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys.

Something happened to me then I felt at peace. I feel as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, one I’d never heard or played before, and the words into my head-they just seemed to fall into place:

“Precious Lord, take my hand,
lead me on, let me stand!
I am tired, I am weak,
I am worn, Through the storm,
through the night lead me on to the light,
Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.”

The Lord gave me these words and melody. He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.

Source: Gospel Songwriter Thomas Dorsey

***A MUST READ***




A man of 32 years, was smoking, while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: 'God, that's for you.' He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: 'Not even God can sink it'
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic Marilyn Monroe (Actress)
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show.

He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: 'I don't need your Jesus'. A week later, she was found dead in her
apartment Bon Scott (Singer) The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: 'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005) In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend.....The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand,
who was already seated in the car: 'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect
You.' She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full ' Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could
have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist & entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond
recognition in her motor vehicle. Many more important people have forgotten
that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rise again, and he is still alive....'Jesus'
I have done my part by sharing this with you, Jesus said 'If you are embarrassed about me,
I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.' You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this.. No way! I'M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!! Bishop T..D. Jakes '8
Second Prayer.' Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!
'Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen.' As you pass this message
You will receive a miracle tomorrow. 
I Hope that you don't ignore.
God bless you as you share this divine message.

www.gooddeedsalliancefoundation.org

Your Set Time for Progress and Advancement

Your Set Time for Progress and Advancement

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great“ (Genesis 26:12-13).

As a child of God, you’ve been called to the upward and forward life. There are those who still say that life is full of ups and downs, but that’s not what the Word teaches. I’ve never known the down life; I’ve only journeyed in one direction, upward and forward only; and there’s no option to that. That’s the life to which you’ve been called; a life of progress and advancement. This month is your set time to move forward and make progress in life!

The Bible says Isaac waxed great, went forward, and grew until he became very great. In other words, he made progress and became successful in every area of his life. There was famine in the land of Gerar and Isaac’s friends and neighbours had journeyed away to Egypt where there was plenty of corn and wine. It made sense to go there since Egypt’s economy was the best in the world at the time. But as Isaac was about to head for Egypt, God spoke out of heaven instructing him to stay in Gerar, where there was famine, and sow in that same land.

Isaac obeyed, and his obedience paid off as he “got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him (Genesis 26:13-14 MSG). In this month of Progress, learn to listen to the Spirit of God for direction. Wherever He tells you to go is where you should go, and whatever He tells you to do is what you should do. Isaac became very great because he followed God’s instructions. It didn’t matter that there was famine in the land, his results turned out differently.

The set time for your advancement is now. It doesn’t matter how things may look around you; if you would let the Holy Spirit guide you in the affairs of your life, like Isaac, you’ll wax great, move forward and grow until you become very great! This month, your life will be a story of unending progress. This is the plan of God concerning you in this season of favour. Expect to make progress. See yourself taking giant strides and accomplishing supernatural feats this month, because the set time for your progress is now. Hallelujah!

Source: Kelly Williams 

www.gooddeedsalliancefoundation.org 

So, everybody around you is getting engaged! 

Every day you log onto facebook you find that YET another person is engaged! Although you're happy for them, deep down-- you're thinking umm.. ANOTHER PERSON?! UGH! WHEN IS MY TIME?!??! 

You go to church, pray, spend time with God, you're living right but HOW is it that all of your unsaved co-workers are now engaged.. or all your friends are engaged, married.. having kids but you find yourself.. still single.

I just want to encourage you today sis. I have felt how you've felt and I have been where you've been. First and foremost, you have got to stop comparing your life to another person. You've heard this before but I'm going to remind you that you're a Christian.

You have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you. Do you know what that means to all of heaven??! You've been adopted, set apart, pulled aside, HIDDEN and PROTECTED under the care of CHRIST. Do you think He's going to just let you run off any marry some of anybody??! Anybody can get a ring honey. You can walk outside and pick a random up off the street and make him marry you. Proverbs 24:1 says: Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them. So.. that should clear up being jealous of a bunch of random unsaved people that are getting engaged. They don't belong to Christ which means that CHRIST has no say-so in their relationships!

The WORST feeling in the world is for you to walk down the aisle to a man that you KNOW God didn't tell you to marry! Yes, God is always speaking. He's always with you. Are you listening? And this isn't the time to run and preach to them that they shouldn't be getting married if they aren't saved. Bashing them over the head with the bible once engaged won't make them run to Christ. Just smile, hug them and say congratulations while you pray for their salvation.

Each season in your life will develop to the next one. If you're worrying non-stop about getting married, you'll finally get married and then you'll worry about kids. "Everybody is having kids and you don't have any kids." Then, you'll finally get pregnant and then you'll compare yourself to all of the other pregnant women and worry about your entire pregnancy. Then, kids will finally come and then you will compare your kids to everybody else's child. Do you see how destructive this cycle is??! And remember, we're Christians. Jesus is so clear to us when He tells us..

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So.. are you allowing His peace to guard your mind during this season of your life? Or are you on a mad search to "finds you a man?" I want to encourage you to get off of your dating sites as you "SEEK" a spouse and get on your face before God & "SEEK" Him. Don't let being single make you bitter sis. GET UP!

You shouldn't be in that waiting room waiting for him! Single life is NOT a waiting room for MARRIAGE. Marriage is ministry and if you were lazy with your walk with God while single when you get married, you'll get smacked in the face by the EFFORT that it takes to make a marriage GOOD & last.

Source: Heather Lindsey.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 
Parent Awake!

What does it mean to abuse a child SEXUALLY?

I will explain in a very plain form(Ignore my english). 

GOAL: The goal of this teaching is to fight sexual immorality right from the scratch(family) because I discovered (through counseling) that many people who are in sexual bondage had a history of sexual abuse as a child. They were opened up to sexual activities too early in their life, some overcame and some are still in the web.
ACTION POINT: Your commitment to this fight for sexual purity is to join me by SHARING all the messages as we proceed in the teaching.

I call child sexual abuse an ATTACK or a SEED OF IMMORALITY. Why? Simply because some people never got over its psychological and emotional effects.

My experiences.

ATTACK 1: When I was 6-7 years old my daddy's apprentice visited my family and he had to sleep over so we both slept on the same mat backing each other. In the middle of the night I suddenly noticed someone opened my pant from behind; I woke up and changed my sleeping position, on noticing this he closed his eyes and pretended he was sleeping. I couldn't sleep again so I joined my mum on her bed. Funny life! when my mum woke up later and saw me sleeping like Ruth beside Boaz feet; she sent me back to my mat but I bluntly refused and sat by her bedside till I slept off again.

ATTACK 2: On another occasion, my dad's apprentice assisted my mum to bath me; I felt uncomfortable with the way he touched my buttocks so I reported him to my mum that he touch my buttocks somehow. My mum laughed about it and discarded my report. Funny life! Till today my mum still make it a joke that I reported to her that my dad's apprentice touched my buttocks carelessly.

ATTACK 3: Came when I was 10 years old. My mum had gone to her shop and left I and my siblings in care of our neighbours. I and all my little friends were together playing MUMMY, DADDY and CHILDREN game. I was always the mummy because I love to cook with sand, water and stone(meat). Can you remember that film? So while ACTING mummy one day, the boy who acted the daddy hugged me so tightly(you know acting MUMMY & DADDY) I guessed we didn't really know what to do but touching each other was all we did.

ATTACK 4: The boy who did act the daddy was not around on a particular day hence we had to improvise, a girl was made the daddy of the day.( LESBIANISM IN DISGUISE) We were acting the mummy and daddy together on the bed, hugging,pecking and jumping on our parents bed.

ATTACK 5: I also engaged my little cousin in mummy and daddy's game with other children. I told him to let's do play under the wrapper. We both covered ourselves with blanket. Toying with each others sexual organs. Thank God for our big sister whose arrival scattered mummy and daddy's immoral play. She threatened to report us to our parent and being older I started begging and promised we would never do such again.

ATTACK 6: This came when I was in Secondary school. I was sleeping in the store with my friend( who happened to be my mum's friend's daughter). She place my hand on her breast and was rubbing her body. I woke up and left the store with shock and annoyance. I reported to my mum she discarded it as usual. She pacified me that the girl meant no harm. I knew better so I stayed away from her till we lost contact with the family.

ATTACK 7: My primary school teacher named Mr. Tinrin was not left out. It happened after evening class lesson; I and my friend Ronke were preparing to leave when he engaged us in a talk and because I love gist we waited. He started talking about REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS? Imagine! he lectured us as if our future depended on Biology. Hmm Mr. Tinrin sent my friend on errand...you know? he now started caressing my shoulder and neck. I stood up and told him I wanted to leave...he was holding me still till I could withdraw. I told my friend about it and I kept my distance away from him. The aftermath was that Mr. Tinrin made life unbearable for me till I passed out of primary school, he was always beating me in the class. If he beats others 2 strokes of cain, he would give me 6 strokes instead and I didn't tell my mum all through.

ATTACK 8: My english teacher lust after my lips while we were marking the exam papers in his office and before I know it he kissed my lips God knows what else he could have done if I didn't storm out of his office. He made life miserable for me from SS2-SS3. He beat me like a criminal and almost failed me in his subject. I told my mum about it.

ATTACK 9: Came when I was 20. I worked in a business centre after my WAEC. My boss (an elderly married man) was always pestering me for a relationship, he would promise me heaven on earth. He went as far as telling me the deflowering process is not painful. He would give me quick hug/ peck in the office and run off to his own, he would call me on phone and start telling me romantic things he would do with my body if I permit him, he would talk about sexual organs to spite me in the office. He continued this abuse until I cried and threaten to resign.

Do you remember all your experiences too? Our children mustn't experience all those ugly sexual abuse.

The journey was so rough yet the Holy Spirit kept me still. I am what I am today by His grace. He made me pass through it all KEPT ME FOR HIS PURPOSE and now I can teach "PARENTS AWAKE"'.

From my experiences above you should have an idea of what CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE is all about.

Child sexual abuse is a form of abuse in which an ADULT or an OLDER PERSON or ANOTHER CHILD uses a child for SEXUAL STIMULATION AND PLEASURE. They can use threats by warning children never to tell their parents.

1. Asking the child to engage in sexual activities
2. Indecent exposure of the private parts to a child
3.Physical sexual contact with the child(RAPE)
4.Using a child to produce a child pornography
5.Tongue-to-tongue kissing a child
6.Inappropriate fondling/caressing a child's sexual organs e.g penis, breast, buttocks, vagina e.t.c
7. Doing oral or anal sex on a child.

PARENTS AWAKE!

Prayer: Father please protect all my children, protect their destiny and destroy every evil seed of immorality in their lives in God name I pray.
Source: Our Lord Ministry Generation

Put the Glass Down : When you leave office today...

 Study this small story.

Hope that makes a BIG change in YOU. A Professor began his class by holding up
a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students
“How much do you think this glass weighs?” '50g!' .... '100g!' ..... '125g' ...the students answered.
“I really don't know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is:
What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”
'Nothing' …..the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked.
'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the student. “You're right, now what would happen
if I held it for a day?” “Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis &
have to go to hospital for sure!”- ventured another student & all the students laughed.

“Very good, But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” asked the professor.
‘No’…. Was the answer. “Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?” The students were puzzled. “What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again. ‘Put the glass down!’ said one of the students.

“Exactly!” said the professor. Life's problems are something like this.
Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.
Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer &
they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’
at the end of every day before You go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!
So, When you leave office today, Remember my friend to …  'PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY! 

Source: True Stories

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