May Be

Here are some beautiful thoughts on life. "Maybe" they will help you in certain areas of your life :)

Maybe God wanted us to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

Maybe when the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

Maybe the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

Maybe it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but if it does not, be content it grew in yours.

It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Things to Think About

In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relation of work to one's other commitments:

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."

How?

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they were your life.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

The Apostle of the Impossible

"The Anatomy of a Miracle in Progress"

Chapter Two

 

Most preachers wait until a miracle is complete before giving their testimony.  I felt led by the Holy Spirit to report the progress of the miracle while it is unfolding.  This is meant to be an encouragement to believers who may at this time be going through all kinds of struggles.  Since having part of my colon detached, cut out, and the rest being reattached, there has been no intense cramping in my stomach.  Before this, the excruciating pain would last for up to two days and nights with no letup.  Thank God for this relief so that I am not hindered from work and ministering as I was before.

 

I feel the reason the Lord gave me a new name during this time, "the Apostle of the Impossible", is because He is directing me to face this challenge head on.  I was born without a hip socket in my left leg.  X-rays say that it is impossible for me to walk, yet I walk.  I stuttered, yet now I preach without that impediment of speech.  Anemia tries to rob me of my energy, yet I am strong in the Lord and the power of His might.  I was shy and afraid of people, but He has given me a boldness to proclaim His Word without fear of favor.  While my own body was being attacked with what medical science says is incurable, I pray for people, and they are being healed.

 

While I am suppose to be recuperating from major surgery, I minister just about every week with the anointing.  It makes me stronger.  Life is precious and time is valuable.  There is no time to waste.  The miracle in progress is for encouragement to others and for the glory of God!  A converted Moslem who now preaches the gospel all over Africa told me that because I keep on going, and offer no excuses to slow down, I have become his role model.  An overwhelming number of God's people have written to encourage me for which I am grateful.  It is bringing many into a unity of spirit in the body of Christ.

 

Bishop Marvin Schmidt

World Changers International

"Making a Difference in Our World"

Bishop_Marvin@WCI888.com 

"Your First Source of Inspiration and Information"

Marvin Schmidt

Say the Unsaid Things

You never know what tomorrow will bring....


----

"I didn't take your cigarettes!" I half yelled rudely.

"Okay, whatever..." said the deep, grouchy voice I knew too well.

"OK well I'm going." I said dryly.

"Aaa-lright."

And with the click of the telephone I turned away and headed off to be with some friends.

Moments before I had learned that my mother, sister, brother, and step-father were leaving to go on vacation without me. In a terrible fit of jealousy, I let my displeasure be known. I went on and on about how messed up it was I was not invited and how my family did not love me. Just on and on. This rode well into the next day.

July 16,1999 is my step-father's 50th birthday. It was going to be his first birthday party ever. My mother had told me two or three times, so I was well aware. I had planned to be there at my dad's first birthday party, (even though every since I had hit adolescence, we never seen eye to eye and fought constantly) but in the "situation" I thought he had put me in and in my moment of pure selfishness and resentfulness, I decided to say I'd show and just not go.

All the better, my friend called and asked me to go with her to her family reunion ... a perfect excuse!

So at about 10 that night I called home collect. It was busy so I left a collect message for later delivery.

"Mom I left your shorts at Aunt Sheila's. If you want them before you leave on vacation tomorrow, better go get em'."

No I love you.

No be careful.

No tell dad happy birthday.

All the way to Ohio with my friend, I bad mouthed him and my mom for marrying him. I felt so angry and left out. I blamed it all on him. It was always Denny's fault. I just knew he had been the one to suggest not taking me. We never got along it seemed.

Eventually we arrived at our destination and tucked in for the night. I never thought twice about my family. Never one thought of all the fun they were probably having at Denny's birthday party. Not once about the excitement they all had for leaving on vacation tomorrow. Just myself.

The next morning after I had got ready, my friend and her family hit the road to meet the rest of them at an all day reunion. We had stopped at K-mart. One of Kelly's relatives pulled up to her car.

"Jara, you need to call home something bad happened." she had said.

"What," I asked, "who?"

"Your step-dad had a heart attack or something." she replied.

"Is he OK?" I said quietly, as I began to shake.

"I do not know, you'll have to call." and she drove away.

I got out of the car, headed towards a nearby telephone booth. I dialled collect. My mom's voice came over the line.

"Jara..." mom said meekly.

"Mom what happened, are you OK?" I asked.

"Denny's dead ... come home, please Jara, come home."

"OK mom, I'll be there," I said quietly, "I love you."

My legs were rubber, I couldn't talk, tears were flooding my eyes and running down my face.

That night at his birthday party, after the guests had left, Denny had suffered a massive heart attack. It was caused from emphysema and heart disease, that even he never knew about. He died in my mother's arms.

You see, I never made peace with Denny I never took the time to show how really important to me he was. I never took the time to tell him he was my Daddy.

He had been there when my biological dad hadn't. He was the one who clothed, fed, and sheltered me as long as I can remember. He was the one that rubbed my belly for hours when I was home sick from school. He was the one who helped me move into my first apartment. He was the one that tried till his death bed to give me values and responsibility. He was the one man in my life I knew that would love me unconditionally. I never told him how much all that meant to me. I never told him that he was my daddy.

After all this, I've learned it so important not to let things go unsaid, no matter how minor or major. Even though I know Denny knew I loved him, I would feel so much better knowing for sure he knew because I hurt him in so many ways. And you see, he never complained.

Cheering Me On

 Losing a loved one is the hardest thing in life, but stories like this really show that they're still there, cheering us on.
------

I close my eyes as tight as they can go.

The lights go off, and my imagination switches on. Pictures flash through my mind like an old film from the fifties.

I remember driving home by myself for the first time. Now, I look into the future and imagine that I am walking across the stage to receive my college diploma. The years pass, and I hear my fianc é say "I do." I look further and listen to the gentle gurgles coming from my baby's nursery. A smile discreetly appears as memories past and thoughts of the future travel through my soul.

I journey to memories of my high school graduation, and a tear suddenly trickles down my cheek. I look into the bleachers packed with families and friends. I see my parents wrapped in pride, and I look to their side for Katie and Kevin's approval. But Katie, my older sister, is not there.

My eyes abruptly open as I am snapped back into reality. I remember being called out of Spanish class in tenth grade and taken to the hospital to see Katie, who had cancer, for the final time. It was an excruciating task, but I found the good in Katie's tragic death.

Katie's room is exactly the way she left it on a Friday night in September, 1993, when she was carried to the ambulance on a stretcher. Her James Dean poster hangs on one wall; her elementary school track ribbons and collection of porcelain masks hangs on the others. Her bed is neatly made and lined with stuffed animals -- typical of a girl who would visit her sloppier friends and, without prompting, start vacuuming their rooms.

Katie died just a few weeks into her freshman year at the University of Miami. At eighteen she was 5'5'' tall and had straight shoulder length blond hair, big blue eyes, and pale clear skin. Her senior year in high school, Katie was the varsity cheerleader captain and valedictorian.

More importantly, though, she was my best friend. After all, when she was six years old, she had declared herself old enough to take care of her little sister and brand new baby brother, because she thought our mother was not sharing us enough with her. This caring attitude continued throughout her life. Katie would always braid my hair, go shopping with me, and let me go out with her and her friends when I was lonely and bored. Katie would always tutor Kevin, who has a learning disability, when he needed help with his homework. She would continually drill him on his studies until he got it right. Afterwards, she would take him to go get ice cream as a reward. Clearly, Katie was not just our older sister. She was also our teacher, friend, and second mother.

Katie always surrounded herself with friends. She was constantly opening her ears, heart, and arms to someone in need. The phone was constantly ringing and her room was always crowded with people in it. Now, my house is silent.

I realize that getting caught in a pool of depression only leads to drowning. I live by looking for the positive in the worst situations. I now have a relationship with my parents and brother that means everything to me. I know what is important in life, and it is not always partying and getting A's. But most of all, I know that I can handle anything. Life is not easy, but I overcame one of its toughest obstacles.

I believe, the hardest part of death is the experiences it steals. Katie will not be clapping for me when I finally get my college diploma or giving me advice on my wedding day. My children will only hear stories of the girlhood of their aunt, both stories of reality and an imagined future.

I close my eyes as tight as they can go.

A diploma is placed in my hand. "I do" echoes from a distance. Katie says she loves me and hugs me tight on a September afternoon in 1993. Just before I cross my high school auditorium stage, I look out at the spectators in the bleachers, and I see mother and father and Kevin.

Katie is sitting right beside them, cheering me on.

Just Five More Minutes
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my daughter on the bike in the white dress."

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. "What do you say we go, Melissa?"

Melissa pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."

The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. '"Time to go now?"

Again Melissa pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes."

The man smiled and said, "OK."

"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, "Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.

She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play."

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?

Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

Real Faith

Summers here in Tennessee can be very hot. This spring I decided to buy myself to a nice screenhouse. Now that the setup fiasco is behind me, I find myself spending most of my day in my 'Thinking Tent'. Sometimes I enjoy it so much that I don't want to come inside. My record so far is 2 A.M. I am certain that soon I'll be witnessing the rising sun from my tent.

Peanut and Roscoe, the two most wonderful dogs in the world (in case you haven't heard), love the tent too. I think that they know that this is our special place.

Most of our weather works well with the screenhouse. On sunny days the green roof heats up and makes it very cozy. There is an almost constant crosswind that is so refreshing. The spring rain showers are just wonderful to watch from the safety of our tent.

Yesterday, Peanut, Roscoe, and I experienced something that my tent was not intended for. I was sitting at my table working on my laptop computer when all of a sudden the screen went blank. Puzzled, I checked my wires to see if I could find out why it had shut off. For some reason, there was no electricity. I looked across the street and said, 'Hmmph, they've lost power too. I wonder why?' Just then a loud rumble of thunder answered my question. Slowly I turned my head, and dropped my jaw. Sliding down the mountain and headed straight towards me was a dark gray thundercloud. Forks of lighting connected the ground to the sky. I could see sheets of rain on the mountain. I looked at Peanut and Roscoe and said, 'This is going to be a bad storm!?

It seemed like they smiled back at me. I covered them with our blanket and quickly stowed things away that needed to stay dry. Just as I finished, the rain started. It looked like we would have to ride this one out in the tent.

Much to the puppies delight, I joined them underneath the blanket. They spent a few moments arranging themselves and ended up each placing their lovely heads on my shoulders. I pulled the blanket over their heads and turned my attention back to the storm.

The wind started to pick up. The poles of the tent shook back and forth. I feared that with this much pounding, the poles might fly apart and collapse the tent on my buddies and I.

My head turned back and forth to catch the flashes of lightening. An explosion of thunder quickly followed each flash of light. It seemed that the storm was quickly getting closer and closer. My heart raced as the lightning strikes sounded all around us.

The rain beat hard on the roof of the tent. Soon the wild wind drove the rain inside. My face was getting wet. The storm showed no sign of passing on.

My thoughts turned to my puppies. How afraid they must be. The noise alone must have made them scared for their lives. Between the hard pounding of the rain, the harsh gusting of the wind, and the explosive sounds of the thunder, they must have been close to panic. I felt so badly for Peanut and Roscoe as I imagined their eyes wide with fear, crying into my shoulder.

I reached my hand down and felt Peanut's heartbeat. Instead of a quick scared pounding, her heart was calm. So was Roscoe's. How could they be so calm in the middle of this terrible storm?

I gently lifted the blanket and looked at my puppies. What I saw surprised me. Their little eyes were closed. Roscoe took a deep breath, and let it out with a loud snore.

I couldn't believe it! Even as the flashes of frightening lightening lit up their faces, they were both sound asleep. I wondered how they could be sleeping!

Then it hit me. Peanut and Roscoe had total faith in me. They knew, and trusted that no matter what happened, I'd make sure that they were safe and unhurt.

Now, it is true that I'd do anything in my power to protect keep them safe, secure and dry. The problem is no one ever told them that I had no power over this storm. I too was at the mercy of the wind and rain.

Once again my precious puppies taught me something special. As I lay under the blanket, I thought of Peanut and Roscoe's total faith and trust. They were demonstrating for me what my faith in God should look like!

So often I just trust God a little bit. When it comes to my life, my sin, and my problems, God wants to take complete charge. He doesn't want me scurrying around trying to help. All he wants is for me to trust Him in the same way that Peanut and Roscoe trusted me.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.?

Can I tell you that the only way you or I will ever find rest is to surrender to God? We need to stop our efforts at 'managing? our lives and trust God completely. We must let God take us wherever He wants.

Truthfully, my dog's faith and trust was misplaced. I do not deserve it. Since I can't explain this to them, I do my best to keep the trust they give me.

It is different with God. He does deserve our total trust. He does have power over the whole earth. God knows everything. He is in control of everything. On top of that, God loves us very much. That makes it perfectly safe to trust God with everything in our lives.

We need to get practical with this. God has given us His word. Trusting God means following that Word. We must read it, and then obey it. It is that exercise of faith that seems to activate God's power in our lives.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the people to obey everything He and God have told them.

Matthew 7:24-27:

(24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

(25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

(26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

(27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Trusting and obeying God is the first step towards obtaining that special peace mentioned in Philippians 4:7 'And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.?

When the storms of life come, and be assured that they will, cling to the promises and commands found in God's word. When you do, you can be like Peanut and Roscoe, and know that by the end of it all will be well.