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A certain daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three posts came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in another he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil without saying a word. The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. After all, she had problems and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the range and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed the liquid in a bowl. Turning to her he asked, "Darling what do you see?" Smartly she replied, "Carrots, eggs, and coffee." He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee. Humbly, she asked, "What does it mean, Father?" He explained, "Each of them faced the same adversity; 212 degree boiling water. However, each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile; a thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer." "Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity, or heat where you wilt and become soft with no strength? Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart; a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a divorce, or a layoff you become hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart internally." "Or, are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better." How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, and egg, or a coffee bean? We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. (1 Corinthians 4:8-9) |
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There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending seminary in Utah. In this seminary, classes are held during school hours. Brother Christianson taught seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's seminary class. Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over. One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Brother Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?" Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do." Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I can do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve!" Brother Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" asked Brother Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of 10 for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said. Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it." Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday." Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts. They were the extra fancy big kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited. It was Friday, the last day of class, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend. Brother Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?" Cynthia said, "Yes." Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Brother Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Brother Christianson then went to Joe. the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Brother Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups and Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did push-ups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle. till Brother Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Brother Christianson asked, "Scott, do you want a donut?", Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?" Brother Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Brother Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk. Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Brother Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Brother Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Jenny said, "No." Then Brother Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten and Jenny got a donut. By now the students were beginning to say "No" and there were al these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face. His arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Brother Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Brother Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Brother Christianson realized this, he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would make it. Brother Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Brother Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Brother Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You can do them any way you want." And Brother Christianson went on. A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Brother Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come in." Brother Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" "Yes." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Brother Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and by this time there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Brother Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a donut?" Linda said very sadly, "No, thank you." Brother Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda. Then Brother Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan, "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face asked, "Brother Christianson, can I help him?" Brother Christianson with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone. Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 35o push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him, he fell to the floor. Brother Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit," with the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He collapsed on the Cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten." My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
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One
day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to
explain evolution to the childre. The teacher asked a little boy:
"Tommy, do you see the tree outside?" |
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