A Roman Catholic priest in Belgium rebuked a young woman and her brother for reading that “bad book” pointing to the Bible. “Mr. Priest,” she replied, “a little while ago my brother was an idler, a gambler, a drunkard, and made such a noise in the house that no one could stay in it. Since he began to read the Bible, he works with industry, goes no longer to the tavern, no longer touches cards, brings home money to his poor old mother, and our life at home is quiet and delightful. How comes it, Mr.
Change
One night while preaching at a halfway house in Taegu, South Korea where Mrs. Worley and I were missionaries, a group of inmates, after hearing the Word of God came forward to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. We were happy to help them. After we had thoroughly led them through the Word of God, we then felt that they understood. Colonel Kim Chang Hup was one of them that gladly received Jesus Christ as his Saviour. We then were having fellowship with them and I learned that the Colonel, who just received Christ as his Saviour was a North Korean. Then I learned his story.
Sir Edwin Landseer was one of the most famous painters of the Victorian era. His talent developed early, and he had the first showing of his work at the Royal Academy when he was just thirteen years old. He was commissioned to do a number of official portraits of the royal family, and even gave private drawing lessons to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. But he was best known for his depictions of the natural settings and life in the Scottish highlands.
The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Saviour and applied for membership in a local church. “Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?” inquired an old deacon. “Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Well, are you still a sinner?”
“To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever.”
“Then what real change have you experienced?”
The story is told of artist Paul Gustave Dore who was traveling in Europe when he faced a predicament. He reached a border crossing and discovered that he had misplaced his passport. Without his papers, the officer wouldn’t allow Dore to pass. Finally, Dore was given a test to prove his identity. The official gave him a piece of paper and a pencil and requested he draw a group of nearby peasants. Dore did so with such ease that the official was convinced he was indeed the famed artist.
Longfellow could take a worthless sheet of paper, write a poem on it, and make it worth $6,000—that’s genius.
Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth a million dollars—that’s capital.
Uncle Sam can take gold, stamp an eagle on it, and make it worth $20.00—that’s money.
A mechanic can take material that is worth only $5.00 and make it worth $50.00—that’s skill.
An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it, and make it worth $1,000—that’s art.
A Russian countess accepted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour and was open about her testimony. The Tsar was displeased and threw her into prison. After 24 hours with the lowest level of Russian society, in the most miserable conditions imaginable, he ordered her brought into his presence. He smiled sardonically and said, “Well, are you ready now to renounce your silly faith and come back to the pleasures of the court?”
‘Twas
battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What
am I bid, good folk?” he cried.
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar ... now two ... only two ...
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
“Three
dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three” ... but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
An ambulance was rushing a woman in labor to the hospital when it slipped off the icy Michigan road. A four-wheel drive truck attempted to pull the ambulance out of the ditch, but could not get any traction on the ice.
An Amish man driving two horses saw the predicament and hitched his team up to the ambulance and successfully pulled it out of the ditch.
Randy was unsure about his choice of clothes for church so he sought some counsel from his wife. He asked, “Do you think I should change?”
She took advantage of the opportunity and replied, “It depends—are you talking about changing your shirt or making a wholesale change as a human being?”
Source: In Other Words
Bubble Wrap, celebrated its golden anniversary in January of 2010. Although the primary function is to provide cushioned security, Bubble Wrap was originally inventes as wallpaper. In the late 1950s, a New York City designer was looking for a new type of textured wall covering, but the idea never took off. Inventors Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding envisioned a different application for the bubbly wallpaper and created an industry with annual revenues of $4 billion. The vision of these two inventors made the difference between success and failure for Bubble Wrap.
A man dialed a wrong number and got the following recording: “I am not available right now, but I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”