POSSESSIONS 物質
In Recession, Americans Doing More, Buying Less
Quietly but noticeably over the past year, Americans have rejiggered their lives to elevate experiences over things. Because of the Great Recession, a recent New York Times/CBS News poll has found, nearly half of Americans said they were spending less time buying nonessentials, and more than half are spending less money in stores and online.
But Americans are not just getting by with less. They are also doing more.
Some are working longer hours, but a larger proportion, the poll shows, are spending additional time with family and friends, gardening, cooking, reading, watching television and engaging in other hobbies.
The Department of Labor’s time-use surveys show a similar trend: compared with 2005, Americans spent less time in 2008 buying goods and services and more time cooking or taking part in “organizational, civic and religious activities.”
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Recession redefines 'necessities'
Americans rethink their must-haves
By Sharon JaysonUSA TODAY
A few years back, the list of "gotta-haves" for many Americans included a car, TV, microwave, home air conditioning and dishwasher.
Now, not so much.
A Pew Research Center survey released Thursday finds that the recession has changed Americans' minds about many items that used to be seen as necessities.
In a 2006 Pew survey of luxuries and necessities, 68% said a microwave was a necessity; now that's 47%. And 52% say a TV is a necessity today, down from 64% in 2006.
"Societal conditions have changed," says James Burroughs, associate professor of commerce at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "In many ways, luxuries are learned in response to a changing environment."
The survey of 1,003 Americans April 2-8 by telephone and cellphone finds that appliances such as a dishwasher or clothes dryer are now considered more discretionary. Just 21% (down from 35%) say a dishwasher is a necessity, and 66% say the same for a dryer (down from 83%). Still, the dryer ranked second on the necessity list in 2006 and 2009, following the car, which topped the list both years (91% in 2006, 88% today). http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090424/1anewluxury24_st.art.htm
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A: “Your communism is stupid. If everything were divided today, in a very short time your portion would be gone. What then?”
B: “Divide again!” (More Toasts, Gertrude Stein)
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一個住在東方的男士，他居住的地方冬天並不是太冷，故他不需要太多太厚的衣服，當他打算退隱到森林居住之時，他就決定徹底地放棄一切，他只需要在森林裏建了一間小屋給自己就可以了，他甚至限制自己唯一的一件衣服就是一塊穿在腰間的小布。
但是，非常不幸的是他的周圍出現了太多的老鼠，因此他決定養一隻猫，由於那隻猫需要牛奶，所以他需要養一隻牛，而牛需要人照顧，故此他要僱一個小牛郎，這個小牛郎要一間房子居住，所以要為他建一間小房子，為了打理這間房子，他又需要聘請一個傭人。為了讓這個傭人有伴，他就只能多建幾間房子，並邀請其他人進去居住。結果一個夏天後，這裏建了一條小村。
男士很慨嘆地說：“我們愈想脫離世界，我們就愈陷入其中而不能自拔！”
A man in the East, where they do not requires as much clothing as in colder times, gave up all worldly concerns and retired to a wood, where he built a hut and lived in it.
His only clothing was a piece of cloth which he wore around his waist. But, as ill-luck would have it, rats were plentiful in the world, so he has to keep a cat. The cat required milk to keep it, so a cow had to be kept. The cow require tending, a cow-boy was employed. The boy required a house to live to live in, so a house was built for him. To look after a house a maid had to be engaged. To provide company for the maid a few more houses had to be built and people invited to move in. In this manner, a little township sprang up.
The man said, “The further we seek to go from the world and its cares the more they multiply!” (Bennett, William J. “The Man and His Piece of Cloth” 195-96 (NY/Simon and Schuster/1995)
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A nobleman, an amateur of the arts and enthusiastic painter, showed some of his work to the painter, Turner.
Turner examined the pictures for a while and then turned to the nobleman.
“My Lord,” he said, “you lack nothing but poverty to become an excellent painter.”
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Mark Buchanan: There is an Indian parable about this. A guru had a disciple and was so pleased with the man’s spiritual progress that he left him on his own. The man lived in a little mud hut. He lived simply, begging for his food. Each morning, after his devotions, the disciple washed his loincloth and hung it out to dry. One day, he came back to discover the loincloth torn and eaten by rats. He begged the villagers for another, and they gave it to him. But the rats ate that one, too. So he got himself a cat. That took care of the rats, but now when he begged for his food he had to beg for milk for his cat as well. “This won’t do,” he thought. “I’ll get a cow.” So he got a cow and found he had to beg now for fodder. So he decided to till and plant the ground around his hut. But soon he found no time for contemplation, so he hired servants to tend his farm. But overseeing the labors became a chore, so he married to have a wife to help him. After time, the disciple became the wealthiest man in the village.
The guru was traveling by there and stopped in. He was shocked to see that where once stood a simple mud hut there now loomed a palace surrounded by a vast estate, worked by many servants. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked his disciple.
“You won’t believe this, sir,” the man replied. “But there was no other way I could keep my loincloth.”
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Couldn’t Live Without This Invention
The PC may be an indispensable tool for many since it’s arrival on the scene for 15 years now, but hardly for everyone.
Invention Percent of 1,005 survey respondents
Automobile 63%
Light bulb 54%
Telephone 42%
TV 22%
Aspirin 19%
Microwave oven 13%
Blow dryer 7.8%
Personal Computer 7.6%
Data: Lemelson – MIT Prize Program (Business Week, Feb. 19, 1996)
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出生於雅典的希臘大哲學家蘇格拉底 ( Socrates, 470-399 B।C.)曾說：「未經檢討反省的 生命是沒有生存價值的生命。」我聽過一個關於他的故事，有一次他的學生很高興地從外面跑進來，拉著蘇格拉底說：「老師，我帶你到市集去看看，那裡有賣好多東西！」他們就到市集，蘇格拉底很仔細的看了每一個攤位，卻空手回去了。學生看他空手而回，問他：「老師，你覺得市集不好嗎？」蘇格拉底說：「不！市集很好。它讓我發現，我不需要什麼！」
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Quotes引證 :
Goods are called good because they can be used for good: they are instruments for good, in the hands of those who use them properly. St Clement of Alexandria
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PRAYER 禱告
“我一直祈禱渴望丈夫轉變。”一個女人說: “但轉變對他是遙不可及。” 她被問: “為甚麼要你丈夫轉變呢？” 回答說：“哦，這會是非常理想的, 家庭生活將有很大分別。” 她受譴責: “你忽略了丈夫的好處和神的榮耀, 你似乎只想到自己。單純地為丈夫的轉變禱告，只為神得榮耀和他需要救主。”
“I have prayed long for the conversion of my husband,” said a woman, “but he’s as far off from conversion as ever.” “Why do you want your husband converted?” she was asked. “Oh,” she replied, “it would be so nice. How different the house would be.” “You are forgetting,” was the rebuke, “the good of your husband and the glory of God. You appear to be thinking mainly of yourself. Pray for his conversion simply for the glory of God and your husband’s need of a Savior.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 510)
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Two prominent senators, boyhood friends, were discussing how strict had been their early religious training and how they had departed from it in late years. Said A to B: “I don’t believe you even remember the Lord’s Prayer, do you?” B answered: “Oh, yes, I do; I’m not such a backslider as that.” Then A said: “I’ll bet a dollar you cannot say the Lord’s Prayer straight through.” B promptly declared that he would win that dollar and, after a moment’s thoughtful hesitation, repeated slowly:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
“By Jove,” said A, “here is your dollar; I didn’t believe you could do it.”
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How often Americans pray:
More than once a day – 24%
Every day – 31%
Several times a month – 10%
Several times a week – 16%
Several times a year – 9%
Never – 9%
Not sure – 1%
Source: Lutheran Brotherhood, USA Today 2/7-9/97
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A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car.
She didn’t know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened. The baby sitter told her that her the fever was getting worse. She said, “You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door.”
The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, “I don’t know how to use this.”
So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, “This is what you sent to help me?” But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.
The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said, “Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?”
He said, “Sure”. He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, “Thank You So Much! You are a very nice man.”
The man replied, “Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour.”
The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, “Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional!”
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An old lady had no money to buy food. With complete trust in God, she got down on her knees and prayed aloud: “Dear Lord, please send me a side of bacon and a sack of corn meal.” Over and again the old lady repeated the same plea in a loud voice. One of the town’s worst characters, overhearing her supplication, decided to play a trick on her. Hurrying to the nearest store he bought a side of bacon and a sack of corn meal. Upon his return to the cabin he dropped the food down the chimney. It landed right in front of the hungry woman as she knelt in prayer.
Jumping to her feet, she exclaimed jubilantly, “Oh, Lord, you’ve answered my prayer!” Then she ran all around the neighborhood telling everyone the good news. This was too much for the scoundrel. He ridiculed her before the others by telling how he had dropped the food down the chimney himself. The wise old woman, quick as a flash, replied, “Well, the devil may have brought it, but it was the Lord that sent it.”
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‘Mrs. Prayer Meeting died recently at the First Neglected Church on Worldly Avenue. Born many years ago in the midst of great revivals, she was a strong, healthy child, fed largely on testimony and spiritual holiness, soon growing into world-wide prominence. She was one of the most influential members of the famous Church family. But for the past several years, Sister Prayer Meeting has been failing in health, gradually wasting away until rendered helpless by stiffness of knees, until her death was caused through lukewarmness and coldness of heart. Lack of spiritual food, coupled with the lack of faith, shameless desertion of her friends and non-support, were contributing causes of her death. Only a few were present at her funeral, sobbing over memories of her past beauty and power. Carefully selected pallbearers were asked to bear the remains tenderly away, but failed to appear. Her body rests in a beautiful cemetery of bygone memories and glories, awaiting the summer from above.’
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There is an old Hasidic tale about three pious Jews who decided to travel to a distant city to spend the high holy days with a famous rabbi. They set out on their journey, without food or money, intending to walk the entire way.
Several days into the journey, weak from hunger and still a long way from their destination, they knew they had made a mistake and they must do something. They came up with a plan. They decided that one of them would disguise himself as a rabbi. That way, when they came to the next village, the people would offer them food, honored to have a rabbi visit their town. None of the three, being pious, wished to be the deceitful one, so they drew straws, and the unlucky one who drew the short straw had to don the clothing of a rabbi. Another dressed as his assistant.
When they drew near to the next village, they were greeted with excited cries of joy, “A rebbe is coming! A rebbe is coming!” Escorted with great ceremony to the local inn, the hungry threesome were treated to a sumptuous meal.
When the meal was done, however, the innkeeper approached the “rabbi” and spoke with great sorrow. “Rebbe, you must pray for my son,” he said. “He is dying and the doctors have given up hope. But the Holy One, blessed be his name, may respond to your prayers.”
The counterfeit rabbi looked desperately to his friends for help. They motioned for him to go with the innkeeper to his son’s bedside. They had begun this hypocritical ruse, and now there was no choice but to keep on playing the game. The mock rabbi accompanied the distraught father to his son’s sick bed.
That night, the three travelers slept fitfully. They were eager to leave town before their deception was discovered. In the morning, the innkeeper, still hoping for a miracle and grateful for the prayer of this visiting “rabbi,” sent the party off with the loan of a carriage and a team of horses.
They left the village and traveled to the great city where they spent magnificent holy days under the spell of the famous rabbi. His teaching of the Torah carried their spirits to the very vault of heaven. But too soon, the holy days were at an end, and the three companions had to go back home through the same village to return the borrowed carriage and horses.
Terrified, the mock rabbi resumed his disguise; his heart was in his throat as they approached the village, especially when he saw the innkeeper running toward them, waving his arms furiously. But to the pretender’s delight and surprise, the innkeeper embraced him with joy, exclaiming, “Thank you, rebbe. Only one hour after you left our village, my son arose from his bed well and strong. The doctors are amazed, but my son lives, and I am grateful for your faithful prayer.”
The two companions looked with astonishment at their phony “rabbi” companion. What had happened? Had his prayer healed the boy? Was he truly a rabbi all along, without telling them? When they were alone, they turned on him with their questions. “What had he done at that boy’s death bed?” they demanded to know.
He replied that he had stood at the boy’s side in silence and, then, began to lift his thoughts to heaven: “Master of the universe, please; this father and son should not be punished just because they think I’m a rabbi. What am I? I am nothing! A pretender! If this child dies, his father will think a rabbi can do nothing. So, Master of the universe, not because of me, but because of this father and his faith, can it hurt that his son would be healed?”
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Five Finger Prayer
Your thumb is the nearest to you. So begin your prayer by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”
The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in industry and business, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.
The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble, or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “the least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinky should remind you to pray for yourself.
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聖誕節就要到了，一個小男孩正在樓上禱告，他的媽媽和他坐在一起，他爸爸和祖母在樓下。
他說「主啊，我禱告求你給我一個組合列車，一個自動遙控汽車，和一輛新自行車!!!」
「你不用喊，親愛的。」媽媽說「上帝又不是耳聾。」
「我知道」小男孩說「可奶奶是。」
As it was coming up to Christmas a young boy is praying upstairs while his mother sits by him and his dad and grandma are downstairs.
He prays “Lord I pray for a train set, a remote control car, and A NEW BICYCLE!!! “
“You don't have to shout dear”, says the mother “God's not deaf.”
“I know” said the little boy, “but grandma is.”
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一場很厲害的暴風雪讓小城的學校都關閉了。幾天後，當學生返回學校時，一位老師問她的學生們他們是否很有效地利用了這幾天沒有上學的時間。「我肯定有，老師」，一個小女孩回答，「我禱告求更多的雪。」
A heavy snowstorm closed the schools in one town. When the children returned to school a few days later, one grade school teacher asked her students whether they had used the time away from school constructively.
“I sure did, teacher,” one little girl replied. “I prayed for more snow.”
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小強因行為無禮被攆進他的房間，過了一會他就出來，告知他媽媽說他認真考慮了一遍並作了禱告。
「很好。」媽媽高興得說，「如果你求上帝幫助你不再無禮，他會幫你的。」
「噢，我沒有讓他幫助我這個，」小強說，「我是求他幫助你能忍受我。」
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三位傳道人在談論怎樣是最好的祈禱姿勢。 在旁邊剛好有一技師在修理電話。
「跪著應是最好的」第一位傳道人說，
「不對」 第二位回應說，
「最有效的祈禱姿勢是向天舉起雙手，
「你們兩位都不對」第三位說，
「最有效的祈禱姿勢是俯伏在地面上, 面貼著地板，」
旁邊的技師忍不住插嘴說,「朋友, 我 最好的祈禱姿勢是當那次我倒掛在電話杆上。」
Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby.
“Kneeling is definitely best,” claimed one.
“No,” another contended. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.”
“You're both wrong,” the third insisted. “The most effective prayer position is lying prostate, face down on the floor.”
The repairman could contain himself no longer.
“Hey, fellas,” he interrupted, “the best praying I ever did was hanging upside down from a telephone pole.”
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求神賜我平靜的心，
去接受我所不能改變的事；
賜我勇氣，
去改變我所能改變的事；
並賜我智慧，
讓我能分辨兩者 ~ Reinhold Neibuhr
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水面不斷升高，船長意識到船馬上就要沉了。他急忙問到，「有誰會禱告？」一位男士站了出來，「船長，我會。」「好，」船長說：「你禱告，其餘的人穿上救生衣—我們就缺一件。」
As the storm raged, the captain realized his ship was sinking fast. He called out, “Anyone here know how to pray?” One man stepped forward, “Aye, Captain, I know how to pray.” “Good,” said the captain, “you pray while the rest of us put on our life jackets - we're one short.”
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這是你的禱告嗎？
主啊，幫助我在明天早上東太平洋時區7:41:23，這種不重要的時間能放輕鬆。
神啊，幫助我考慮別人的感受，雖然別人大多過於敏感。
神啊，幫助我對自己的行為負責任，雖然經常不是我的錯。
神啊，幫助我試著不逃避，但是如果你需要我幫忙時，請不要客氣來請求我。
神啊，幫助我更能回頭，也幫助我能確實做到。
神啊，幫助我對事情的態度更認真，尤其是歡笑的事、狂歡的聚會及跳舞。
神啊，賜我耐心，我是指「現在」！
主啊，幫助我不要完美主義（我這樣子寫對不對？）
神啊，幫助我完成每件事，就是那個…
神啊，幫助我專心…看！有一隻鳥吔！
神啊，幫助我只做我能做的事，其餘我不能的才信靠祢。
主啊，使我能接受別人的意見，雖然他們可能都錯了。
主啊，幫助我要依靠祢，但讓我用自己的方法來做。
主啊，幫助我依照今天已定好的時程，不過我想我可能只會順著計畫幾分鐘。
主啊，幫助我慢下來，不要急。快一點！
阿們！
Is This Your Prayer?
Lord help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at
7:41:23 am, e.s.t.
God help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them ARE hypersensitive.
God help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're
usually NOT my fault.
God, help me to not try to RUN everything. But, if You need some help,
please feel free to ASK me!
Lord, help me to be more laid back, and help me to do it EXACTLY right.
God help me to take things more seriously, especially laughter, parties,
and dancing.
God give me patience, and I mean right NOW!
Lord help me not be a perfectionist. (Did I spell that correctly?)
God, help me to finish everything I sta
God, help me to keep my mind on one thing - - Look at that bird! - - at a
time.
God help me to do only what I can, and trust you for the rest. And would
you mind putting that in writing?
Lord keep me open to others' ideas, WRONG though they may be.
Lord help me be less independent, but let me do it my way.
Lord help me follow established procedures today. On second thought, I'll
settle for a few minutes.
Lord, help me slow down andnotrushthroughwhatIdo.
Amen
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芬尼（Finney Charles），1792年8月29日生於美國的康乃狄克州，他是基督教界的奇才，29歲時對福音毫無認識，聖經辭彙一竅不通，卻在三年內被神改變，成為復興的器皿。經由他帶起的大復興，十年間直接、間接的影響了約兩百萬人歸主。芬尼的興起與他的禱告有密切的關係。
他有早起獨自在教會禱告的習慣，這種習慣引起許多弟兄們的注意，於是他們在早晨一同聚集禱告。禱告的靈立刻奇妙地臨到這群初信的年輕人，他們熱切且持續地禱告。可惜，沒多久他們開始鬆懈下來，因此芬尼就早早起身，到各家去喊醒他們，許多時候芬尼繞了幾個圈子，才叫起一些人；赴會的人雖然勉強，芬尼卻從未灰心，他時常花好多時間在禱告上，真是名副其實的『不住的禱告』，他覺得這是十分有益的，而且也時時禁食禱告。在那些日子，芬尼單獨與神親近，有時入樹林，有時赴教會，總設法獨自安靜一處。芬尼認為，作為一個基要派的信徒，如果他曾悔改相信基督，就必須接受聖靈的膏抹，這是成功的事奉所不可或缺的。他說：『除非我有禱告的靈，否則我就不能作什麼。』
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親愛的上帝，
你爲什麽不拯救利托頓小學的孩子們？
誠摯的，
某學生
親愛的學生，
學校不允許我進去。
誠摯的，
上帝
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最近，我帶孩子們到一家餐廳。六歲的兒子問我他是否可以謝飯。當我們低下頭後，他說：「上帝真好，上帝真偉大。為這食物謝謝祢，假如媽媽能買冰淇淋給我們當甜點，我會感謝祢更多一點。並且給每一個人自由和公義！阿們！」
隨著鄰近顧客的笑聲，我聽一位女士說：「這就是這個國家的問題。現今的孩子甚至不知道如何禱告。為何會這樣呢，我就從來沒有向上帝要過冰淇淋！」
聽她如此說，我兒子爆出了眼淚問我：「我有沒有做錯了？上帝是不是生我的氣了？」
當我抱著他，向他保證他做了一件很棒的工作，並且上帝絕對沒有生他的氣。一位年長的男士走近桌子，向兒子眨眼說：「我剛好知道，上帝認為那是一個了不起的禱告。」兒子問：「是真的嗎？」「真心的。」
然後他加上一個戲劇式的耳語(表明那個女人的話開始這件事)，「太可惜了，她從沒向上帝要冰淇淋。有時候，一點冰淇淋是對靈魂有益處的。」
當然，餐後我買了冰淇淋給孩子。我的兒子開始吃了不久，他做一件事，使我終生不忘。他拿起了他的聖代，不發一聲的走過去，把它放在那個女人的面前。
他笑著對他說：「這是給妳的。有時候，一點冰淇淋是對靈魂有益處的，而我的靈魂已經很好。」
Recently I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!”
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, “That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never!”
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, “Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?”
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, “I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.”
“Really?” my son asked.
“Cross my heart.” Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), “Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.”
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman.
With a big smile he told her, “Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already.”
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有一個無神論者在登山的時候， 突然有一隻熊出現要攻擊他， 就在這隻熊正準備攻擊時， 這個人就呼叫神的名， 「請你幫助我， 如果你這次幫助我， 我就會相信你。」 突然， 有一朵白雲出現在他面前說， 「為什麼我要幫你? 你逼迫我的百姓， 而且從來不相信我的存在。」 這個人就想， 「也許我就請他將這隻熊變成基督徒， 如此一來我就不欠祂任何東西， 而這隻熊就會變好， 放了我。」 神就說， 「照你所求的成就了。」 突然間， 那隻熊將他的雙手舉起說， 「主阿， 謝謝你賜給我這麼棒的一頓飯!!」
An atheist man was hiking in the mountains, but suddenly a bear appeared and attacked the man. Just before the bear was about to Strike, The man called on the name of God. “Please Help me, if you listen to me once, I will believe in you”.
All of a sudden a bright cloud appeared before him and said, “Why should I help you? You persecuted my people, and never believed that I existed”.
The man thought to himself maybe I will just ask him to make the bear a Christian then I don't owe Him anything and the bear will be good and spare my life.
God said, “Your prayer has been granted.”
Suddenly the bear raised his both arm and said “ Thank you Lord for an awesome meal that you have given me”!!
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教堂里，一个小男孩在祈祷：「神呀！我只有一个小小的心愿，请把首都移到纽约吧！」
一个牧师在旁边听到后，问小男孩：「小朋友，你为什么祈祷要把首都移到纽约？」
小男孩答道：「有一个考试题问的是首都在哪，我答的是纽约。」
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在德蘭修女( Mother Teresa)去世前不久曾接受但‧瑞惹( Dan Rather)的訪問，瑞惹問道：「您禱告時都作些什麼呢？」德蘭修女毫不猶豫回答說：「我傾聽」 o針對這個回答，瑞惹又問道：「那麼神作些什麼呢？」德蘭修女回答說：「祂也傾聽」。
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一個小伙子獨自去登山，在山頂上一不小心掉了下去，只有一隻手抓住了一個。
突起的岩石，他大聲的呼救：「上面有人嗎？快救救我！」這時上面有個聲音說：「孩子，我是神，把手鬆開我拉你上來！」伙子猶豫了一下又大聲喊說：「上面還有別人嗎？」
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有一所學校嚴禁考試作弊，數學教授要大家簽署一份聲明，表示在考試時沒有接受任何人的協助與幫忙，考卷全部是靠自己完成的。當大家幾乎都完成了簽名，只有一位同學仍猶豫不決。教授上前瞭解時，這位同學就回答說：「教授，我在考試以前常常先祈禱，求神幫助，所以不知道應不應該簽？」教授仔細看過他的考卷後，以篤定的語氣說：「 放心吧！神並沒有幫你」。
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有一個小女孩想要一只芭比娃娃，她在晚上睡覺前，用非常大的聲音向神禱告，求神賜給她一個芭比娃娃。女孩的媽媽說「神又不是聳子，不必這麼大聲禱告。」，小女孩說「但是樓上的奶奶卻是重聽，不大聲一點她怎麼聽得見呢？」
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小明調皮不聽話，被媽媽罰面壁思想。過了一會小明告訴媽媽說自己不但已經想過而且向神禱告了。『很好』，媽媽高興的說﹕『你只要求神幫助你不再調皮，神會幫助你的。』『我並沒有求神幫助我不再調皮』，小明說﹕『我剛才求神幫助你對我有耐心。』
Litttle Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. “Fine,” said the pleased mother. “If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you.” “Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave,” said Litttle Johnny. “I asked Him to help you put up with me.”
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一位美國內戰無名的戰士所寫的禱告：
我曾求神賜我力量使我可以成功
神卻使我軟弱讓我學習謙卑順服
我曾求神賜我健康使我能做大事
神卻使我有病使我能做更好的事
我曾求神賜給我財富可享受快樂
神卻賜我貧窮使我成為聰明的人
我曾求神賜我權柄使我得人稱讚
神卻賜我軟弱教導我學習需要神
我曾求神賜我一切使我享受生命
神卻賜我生命使我可以享受一切
我所求一無所獲卻得到所盼望的
我輕看自己我沒說的禱告全部蒙應允
Prayer of an anonymous Civil War soldier:
I asked God for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I among all men am most richly blessed.
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親愛的神；今年到目前為止，我尚未做錯任何事，我沒有講閒話，沒有發脾氣，沒有貪心，鬧別扭污穢自私或者自大，我為此感謝，但是再過幾分鐘我即將起床，從那刻起，我可能需要很多的幫助！阿们！
Dear Lord, So far today God, I've done all right; I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of this bed, And from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help. Amen.
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Quotes引證 :
Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. Oswald Chambers
You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. John Bunyan
Bach gave us God’s word,
Beethoven gave us God’s fire,
Mozart gave us God’s laughter,
God gave us music so that we may pray without words. Appleseeds.org
Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can become. Morris Adler
Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon man.
The fewer the words, the better the prayer. To have prayed well is to have studied well. Martin Luther
When praying, don’t give God instructions, just report for duty.
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PREPARATION 準備
WILLIE WILLIS “Pa, what’s strategy?”
PAPA WILLIS “Usually darn poor judgment that happens to work out all right.”
(More Toasts, Gertrude Stein)
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Some years ago a young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends”, replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “Start Monday!”
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today”.
Startled, he replied, “I thought you paid on Friday”. “Normally we do”, answered the foreman, “but we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind”. “Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday.”
“But I’m a hard worker”, the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”
The foreman, sensing the boy’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your ax?”
The young man replied, “I’ve been working too hard to take the time.” (Charles Swindoll, The Church: Purpose, Profile, Priorities, Page 70.
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有個樵夫每天都上山砍柴，他非常地勤勞，一年到頭難得休息。但是後來他發現，他砍的柴愈來愈少，工作愈來愈吃力，他感到非常苦惱。有個朋友發現了他的困境，為他查究原因，原來他的斧頭長久的使用，已經鈍了。於是這個朋友告訴樵夫：「我想你應該先把斧頭磨利了，再繼續工作。」樵夫不以為然的說：「哎！老兄，你看我這麼辛苦，才砍這麼一點兒柴，再花時間精力去磨斧頭，不是砍得更少了嗎？」
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PROBLEMS 問題
最近我讀到一個故事，提到有一個不信主的人向一位信主的鐵匠質問：「為甚麼你有這麼多的問題？自從你信了主以後，我緊緊的盯住你，發現你困難蠻多的。我還以為一．個人信了主以後，一切麻煩都將遠離你，你說呢？」鐵匠笑看回答：「請看，我手裡這塊鐵，如果我打算拿它來作車輛的彈簧，就得先把它放進爐裡燒，然後加以錘打、扭彎，打成我想要的樣式。萬一我認為它的韌度不夠，並不合用，只好放棄，把它扔進廢料堆裡。你知道，廢料堆裡的鐵只不過是一堆廢物，如果被煉成彈簧，身價自然不同了：同樣的道理，我曾對神說，主啊，請盡管照你的意思來磨練我，但無論如何，只求你別把我扔進廢料堆裡！」
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Quotes引證 :
Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Sigi Schmid
If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend 6 sharpening my ax. Abraham Lincoln
If you start your day with these four questions, you’ll make every day a more productive day.
1. What’s the BEST thing that can happen today?
2. What’s the WORST thing that can happen today?
3. What can I do today to make sure that the BEST thing does happen?
4. What can I do today to make sure that the WORST thing doesn’t happen?
The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today. Elbert Hubbard
Proper planning prevents poor performance!
The writing of a sermon comes from learning; the preparation of a message comes from living. The ideal is a combination of both. Listening to the Giants 353, Warren Wiersbe
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hour sharpening my ax. Abraham Lincoln
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