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Sayings, Stories & Truths Page

OLDIE BUT, certainly true...

Though some people may make light of this subject, it is certainly
not something that should be joked about, or taken lightly.
The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington
chemistry midterm. The answer was so "profound" that the professor
shared it with colleagues, which is why we now have the pleasure
of enjoying it as well.
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat)
or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law, (gas
cools off when it expands and heats up when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing with time.
So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the
rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once
a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions
that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are
not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.
Since there are more than one of these religions, and since people do not
belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.
With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in
Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the
volume in Hell. Because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature
and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as
souls are added. This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell,
then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks
loose.
2. Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls
in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it?
If we accept this, then #2 cannot be true; and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze.

THE STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A" GIVEN.

MODERN PROVERBS

**Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death...

**God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts...

**Some folks wear their halos much too tight...

**Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have
to be maintained on earth...

**The best way to get even is to forget..

**Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days,
Then perhaps giving advice to God, isn't such a good idea!

**Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

**Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous. You
will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

**Words are windows to the heart.

**A skeptic is a person who when he sees the
handwriting on the wall claims it's a forgery.

**It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a
molehill -- just add a little dirt.

**A successful marriage isn't finding the right person
-- it's being the right person.

**The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

**Too many people offer God prayers,
with claw marks all over them.

**The tongue must be heavy indeed,
because so few people can hold it.

**To forgive is to set the prisoner free,
and then discover the prisoner was you.

**You have to wonder about humans,
they think God is dead and Elvis is alive!

**It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and
again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

**You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress
when it sticks out its neck...

**If the grass is greener on the other side of the
fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.

**The greatest loss of life is not death
but what dies inside us while living.**

"HOPE"

Don't let go of hope.
Hope gives you the strength to keep going
when you feel like giving up.

Don't ever quit believing in yourself.
As long as you believe you can,
you will have a reason for trying.

Don't let anyone hold your happiness in their hands;
hold it in yours, so it will always be within your reach.

Don't measure success or failure by material wealth,
but by how you feel; our feelings determine
the riches of our lives

Don't let bad moments over come you;
be patient, and they will pass

Don't hesitate to reach out for help;
we all need it from time to time

Don't runaway from love but towards love,
because it is our deepest joy

Don't wait for what you want to come to you
Go after it with all that you are,
Knowing that life will meet you half way.

Don't feel like you've lost when plans and
dreams fall short of your hopes.

Anytime you learn something new about yourself
or about life, you have progressed.

Don't do anything that takes away from your
self-respect. Feeling good about yourself
is essential to feeling good about life.

Don't ever forget how to laugh or be too proud to cry.
It is by doing both that we live life to the fullest.

The Graduation Speech

Jesse was well liked by everyone, so everybody
anticipated what he had to say...

As he walked up to the microphone, on graduation day.
For a moment he remained silent, as he peered at the
faces from his senior class
And then Jesse leaned into the microphone, and finally spoke at last.

As your class president, I'm here to speak to you today.
I was up most of the night, considering what words that I should say.
I reminisced on school days, and all the many things I've done
So many memories came to mind, but my thoughts kept me focusing on one.

And then Jesse held up a photo, and he moved it all around
As everyone leaned to view it, and silence was the only sound
You could have heard a pin drop, as Jesse placed the picture in full view
And began talking of a classmate, that no one really knew.

Charlie's life seemed meaningless, compared to yours and mine
Because none of us understood him, we never took the time
We saw only what we wanted to, that Charlie was not cool
He was far from being popular, the butt of all our jokes in school.

Yes that we knew of Charlie, that much we decided on our own
He simply wasn't worth our time, he was an outsider
who deserved to be alone.
But you see Charlie had a passion, deep within he had a dream
It was his one desire, to play for our soccer team.

And of course that was ludicrous, it was totally absurd
Charlie was no athlete, he was the senior nerd.
In gym class he was never captain, he was always chosen last
He was the poster child for unpopular, he preferred
history, science, and math.

And so some of us took it upon ourselves to keep
Charlie from wanting to play
For weeks we taunted him with insults, day after day after day
We made sure that he wasn't welcomed, by anyone else on the team
For whatever foolish reasons, we were set on destroying his dream
And I'm here now to tell you, as your class president, I was wrong
I'm here to speak for Charlie, who couldn't be here,
because you see he's gone.

Jesse paused just for a moment, to give time for his words to sink in
As he looked about at the faces, of parents, teachers, and friends.

I'm not sure if all of you know it, I'm not sure if anyone cares
But the reason Charlie isn't with us is a reason I feel I must share.
Cruel words they are definitely weapons, they
destroyed Charlie's body and soul
For all of the taunting and teasing left Charlie
feeling out of control.

And Charlie alone in a battle, gathered his weapons to fight.
He purchased some drugs from a dealer, his mother
found his body last night.

Maybe it was only an accident, maybe Charlie wanted to die
But no matter how it happened, we as his classmates know why,
For who in their lives hasn't been teased, or made to
feel unbearable shame
I'm certain that everyone in this room has endured
some heartache and pain.
And maybe boys will be boys and girls will be girls,
and we each have our battles to fight
But no matter our justification, hurting Charlie was never right.

And then Jesse took Charlie's picture and held it firm in his hand
And spoke to the photo before him, words unrehearsed and unplanned.

If only I'd helped somehow, given you guidance to conquer your dream
If only a teacher, a classmate, if someone would have just intervened.
But I know I can never go back, I can never undo what has been
For you will never receive your diploma, or ever play soccer again.
But deep in my heart I wonder, I can't help asking what if...
I would have reached out to you Charlie,
Would your school years have ended like this?

Jesse stood lost in his thoughts, of a life that was ended too soon
Until muffled coughs caught his attention, and nervous
whispers began filling the room.
And then Jesse turned with a smile, before retreating back to his chair
Teaching a valuable lesson, with his final words filling the air.

I would like to introduce our valedictorian, he will be speaking today.
Please give him your full attention, please hear all that he has to say.

And then Jesse set Charlie's picture down, on the podium facing the crowd
As the silence told Charlie's story, a message quite convincingly loud.

By Cheryl Costello-Forshey

Winter Morning Guest

One winter morning in 1931, I came down to breakfast - and
found the table empty.
It was cold outside. The worst blizzard on record had
paralyzed the city. No cars were out. The snow had drifted up
two stories high against our house, blackening the windows.
"Daddy, what's happening?" I asked.
I was six years old. Gently Dad told me our fuel and food
supplies were exhausted. He's just put the last piece of coal
on the fire. Mother had eight ounces of milk left for my baby
brother Tom. After that - nothing.
"So what are we going to eat?" I asked.
"We'll have our devotions first, John Edmund," he said, in
a voice that told me I should not ask questions.
My father was a pastor. As a Christian he'd been chased
out of his Syrian homeland. He arrived as a teenager in the
United States with no money and barely a word of English -
nothing but his vocation to preach. He knew hardship of a kind
few see today. Yet my parents consistently gave away at least
10 percent of their income, and no one but God ever knew when we
were in financial need.
That morning, Dad read the scriptures as usual, and
afterwards we knelt for prayer. He prayed earnestly for the
family, for our relatives and friends, for those he called the
"missionaries of the cross" and those in the city who'd endured
the blizzard without adequate shelter.
Then he prayed something like this: "Lord, Thou knowest we
have no more coal to burn. If it can please Thee, send us some
fuel. If not, Thy will be done - we thank Thee for warm clothes
and bed covers, which will keep us comfortable, even without the
fire. Also, Thou knowest we have no food except milk for Baby
Thomas. If it can please Thee..."
For someone facing bitter cold and hunger, he was
remarkably calm. Nothing deflected him from completing the
family devotions - not even the clamor we now heard beyond the
muffling wall of snow.
Finally someone pounded on the door. The visitor had cleared
the snow off the windowpane, and we saw his face peering in.
"Your door's iced up," he yelled. "I can't open it."
The devotions over, Dad jumped up. He pulled; the man
pushed. When the door suddenly gave, an avalanche of snow fell
into the entrance hall. I didn't recognize the man, and I don't
think Dad did either because he said politely, "Can I help you?"
The man explained he was a farmer who'd heard Dad preach in
Allegan three years earlier.
"I awakened at four o'clock this morning," he said, "and I
couldn't get you out of my mind. The truck was stuck in the
garage, so I harnessed the horses to the sleigh and came over."
"Well, please come in," my father said. On any other
occasion, he'd have added, "And have some breakfast with us."
But, of course, today there was no breakfast.
The man thanked him. And then - to our astonishment - he
plucked a large box off the sleigh. More than sixty years
later, I can see that box as clear as yesterday. It contained
milk, eggs, butter, pork chops, grain, homemade bread and a host
of other things. When the farmer had delivered the box, he went
back out and got a cord of wood. Finally, after a very hearty
breakfast, he insisted Dad take a ten-dollar bill.
Almost every day Dad reminded us that "God is the
Provider." And my experience throughout adult life has
confirmed it. "I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor
their children begging bread." (Psalm 37:25) The Bible said
it. But Dad and Mom showed me it was true.

By John Edmund Haggai Reprinted by permission of John Edmund Haggai
(c) 1999, from Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul by
Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Aubery and Nancy Mitchell Autio.

OUR MOODS

How often do our moods rule our day? I am ashamed to
admit that there are too many days ruled by my moods.
Yes, I deal with cliental depression on a daily basis; is
that a good excuse for letting myself get out of control
and permitting the emotional side of me take over?

I am sure that each of us knows the answer to that
question is a loud, resounding NO!

My mood can be so very deceptive. I can be in a terrific
mood and within one minute, my mood can turn around 180
degrees. It doesn't even have to be a serious event to change
my entire attitude. Sometimes, my moods lie to me. They can
trick me into thinking that my life is far worse than it really is.
Life seems impossible; problems or no longer solvable; my
common sense goes by the wayside;
communication flies out the window;
and you had better not cross me!

Often times, I am unaware that my mood is controlling my
behavior. Patience with others and myself is at a minimum;
tasks that are usually easy, are like climbing a mountain; my
life seems to have suddenly become this terrible existence.

So what is the solution?
Think!

Life is seldom as bad as we think it is (especially when mood
is telling us life is terrible). You can lose your perspective;
everything seems to be so urgent, when really, most decisions
can be made at a different time.

Remind yourself that you don't necessarily need to accomplish
everything in one day. Some of the plans you made for that day
could be changed; the closet can be cleaned next week; the
weeds pulled tomorrow. Dinner can be hot dogs and beans
instead of the stew you had planned on making.
Your life can become simple instead of rushed.

I feel that if we stay in the moment and relax, whisper a
prayer, and step back to revaluate the situation . . . maybe
laugh at yourself . . . your mood might . . . most likely will
change. You would be surprised what an hour can do for you
IF you just let it work for you.
Try it sometime and see what happens.
by Amber

This Web page was created on May 13, 2004
This Web page was updated April 14, 2005