A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.
However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you wouldn’t have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.
Monday, June 19, 2006
I believe
going to hurt you every once in a while and
you must forgive them for that.
I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even
over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe - That you can do some thing in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become
the person I want to be.
I believe - That you should always leave loved ones
with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe - That you can keep goi ng long after you think you can't.
I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no
matter how we feel.
I believe - That either you control your attitude or it
controls you.
I believe - That regardless of how hot and steamy a
relationship is at first, the passion fades and
there had better be something else to take its place.
I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has
to be done when it needs to be done, regardless
of the consequences.
I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe - That my best friend and I can do anything or
nothing and have the best time.
I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help
you get back up.
I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the
right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe - That just because someone doesn't lov e you the way you want them to doesn't mean they
don't love you with all they have.
* I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe - That just because two peop le argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe - That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I believe - That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something to tally different.
I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find
the strength to help.
I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
Honor
If it’s empty, fill it up.
If it’s open, shut it.
If it’s out, put it away.
If it’s messy, clean it up.
If you can’t, then report it.
That’s honor.
America's Schools: Hostile Environments?
Last April, students at Springfield High School in Oregon were told they could not wear t-shirts that said: "I am a Christian and I am against homosexuality, abortion, pre-marital sex and drugs." Alliance Defense Fund Lawyer Tim Chandler said: "The Supreme Court has said schools have the right to censor student speech only if it's disruptive, only if it's vulgar, only if it's lewd...[Schools] can't ban speech just because they don't agree with it..." Students who were participating in a pro-homosexual campaign were not prohibited from expressing their views, Chandler noted. Now, Springfield High School has officially apologized to the Christian students. That favorable outcome in Oregon contrasts cruelly with this story from Lexington, Mass. You'll recall that in that birthplace of the American Revolution, David Parker was arrested and barred from school property after protesting pro-homosexual material distributed in his son Jacob's elementary school. Now comes word that Parker's son Jacob, 7, was beaten up on the playground on May 17--to mark the second anniversary of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Estabrook Elementary claims it is "Safe School" as a show of tolerance for students who are said to be homosexual. But apparently such "tolerance" is a one-way street.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Kabob's Chaos
So life seems so chaotic. Theres a ton going on all around me and it seems so overwhelming. But I keep going and trudge through it all. I've finally become "ok" with not having a perfectly clean house, I know stuff is going to be laying around. Or I can pick up the same toy a 1K times or just wait till the end of the day and make the kids do it ;) But I'm realizing that I need to spend more time outside enjoying a nice bike ride with my kids and less time worrying that there is egg on the counter. Its much less stress believe you and me. I've stopped worrying what someone will think if they come over and there are dishes in the sink. I've thrown out the martha stewart attitude. Sorry lady but your fake and VERY unrealistic! You are the cause of depression. Woman can live up to the Marth Stewart expectation. You my dear, have employees, we however do not! :)
But besides just the typical house stuff. We have church stuff.
Yesterday our pastor announced he will be stepping down to persue God's calling. Ministering to other Pastors and their wives. I've always wondered who pastored the pastors. :) Seriously tho, its gotta be tough. Your constantly Pastoring to the congregation and praying for others. I truely believe we need to put more emphasis on praying for our Pastors and realizing they are only human themselves. Its definitely a job that you can only do equipped by God. Anyway, so he will be off with his wife to pursue this calling. In the mean time theres this uncertaintity of what will happen with our church. Will it close, will it stay open, will we hire a new pastor. And of course when you have a large number of individuals in a church, you have a large number of opinions and ideas of what should happen. This can either be a time of great confusion and fierce squabbles or a time of allowing God to work on HIS design. Yesterday after church, about 18 of us went to lunch. It was interesting to hear everyone's opinions on how this whole thing will transpire. The people whom I expected to have an opinion did of course. And while I was sitting there, I was thinking. Honestly people!! Are you crazy!?!?! These ideas are so far fetched. But the more I got to thinking about it the more I could see "some" of what was being said. Of course, my hot button through lunch was "church" for the kids. Its been my "hot" button for a long time. But, I think I'm realizing more that times have changed and my children may never have, what I had as a kid. People's priorities are different. Its up to me to give my children a church environment here at home, a love for God, for his people, for service. I realized that yes my children are my responsibility, but to have that support of your church to help you in the process we miss out on. Its finally clear, my children are relying on me 100% to give them everything. I can expect that church(in the traditional sense) will be a small portion of my kids lives and the rest I invest into them alone with God. It takes a village, but the village is retreating. And Tom and I are left with us. God being are #1 support. And without that network of people to rally around you, it makes for tough parenting.
I was talking to a lady the other day, at the First Baptist Church in Morgain Hill. I called to get Caitlin signed up for VBS. I wanted to get her involved in some things this summer, give us both some space from each other. Anyway her and I got into a discussion on what its like to be a church in the midwest/south as opposed to here. There church just went through the process of finding a new pastor. (they did it and survived why can't we??) There are so many differences, far to many to count. Church there, It works. People aren't chaotic and stretched for time like they are here. Its sad to think that God is scheduled in. But then again I see so many things about the Bay Area that I loathe. LIke the business, the attitudes, beliefs (teaching my kids about being gay/lesbian in kindgergarten, thanks but no thanks, why I homeschool, for those of you that are jumping on the bandwagon right this second, I didn't say anything about it being bad, I disagree about it being taught in schools. In kindergarten, thats my job along with the sex talk thank you very much. I have an aunt whom I love very much who is gay and I support her 100% "end soapbox" ) I pray everyday that God will get me out of this "place". But I realize this has been my home for 10 years. I would miss it because its all I've known and its what I"m use to. And of course the few REAL and very close friends that I have I will miss. But God has us here for a reason, and I have to be happy with it. If you would have asked me 10 years ago how long I would be here in california, I would NEVER had guessed or thought 10 years.
Next Blog:
How do I want to be remembered as a Mom by my children.
But besides just the typical house stuff. We have church stuff.
Yesterday our pastor announced he will be stepping down to persue God's calling. Ministering to other Pastors and their wives. I've always wondered who pastored the pastors. :) Seriously tho, its gotta be tough. Your constantly Pastoring to the congregation and praying for others. I truely believe we need to put more emphasis on praying for our Pastors and realizing they are only human themselves. Its definitely a job that you can only do equipped by God. Anyway, so he will be off with his wife to pursue this calling. In the mean time theres this uncertaintity of what will happen with our church. Will it close, will it stay open, will we hire a new pastor. And of course when you have a large number of individuals in a church, you have a large number of opinions and ideas of what should happen. This can either be a time of great confusion and fierce squabbles or a time of allowing God to work on HIS design. Yesterday after church, about 18 of us went to lunch. It was interesting to hear everyone's opinions on how this whole thing will transpire. The people whom I expected to have an opinion did of course. And while I was sitting there, I was thinking. Honestly people!! Are you crazy!?!?! These ideas are so far fetched. But the more I got to thinking about it the more I could see "some" of what was being said. Of course, my hot button through lunch was "church" for the kids. Its been my "hot" button for a long time. But, I think I'm realizing more that times have changed and my children may never have, what I had as a kid. People's priorities are different. Its up to me to give my children a church environment here at home, a love for God, for his people, for service. I realized that yes my children are my responsibility, but to have that support of your church to help you in the process we miss out on. Its finally clear, my children are relying on me 100% to give them everything. I can expect that church(in the traditional sense) will be a small portion of my kids lives and the rest I invest into them alone with God. It takes a village, but the village is retreating. And Tom and I are left with us. God being are #1 support. And without that network of people to rally around you, it makes for tough parenting.
I was talking to a lady the other day, at the First Baptist Church in Morgain Hill. I called to get Caitlin signed up for VBS. I wanted to get her involved in some things this summer, give us both some space from each other. Anyway her and I got into a discussion on what its like to be a church in the midwest/south as opposed to here. There church just went through the process of finding a new pastor. (they did it and survived why can't we??) There are so many differences, far to many to count. Church there, It works. People aren't chaotic and stretched for time like they are here. Its sad to think that God is scheduled in. But then again I see so many things about the Bay Area that I loathe. LIke the business, the attitudes, beliefs (teaching my kids about being gay/lesbian in kindgergarten, thanks but no thanks, why I homeschool, for those of you that are jumping on the bandwagon right this second, I didn't say anything about it being bad, I disagree about it being taught in schools. In kindergarten, thats my job along with the sex talk thank you very much. I have an aunt whom I love very much who is gay and I support her 100% "end soapbox" ) I pray everyday that God will get me out of this "place". But I realize this has been my home for 10 years. I would miss it because its all I've known and its what I"m use to. And of course the few REAL and very close friends that I have I will miss. But God has us here for a reason, and I have to be happy with it. If you would have asked me 10 years ago how long I would be here in california, I would NEVER had guessed or thought 10 years.
Next Blog:
How do I want to be remembered as a Mom by my children.
VEGAS BABY!!
So sunday morning at 5am, my friend Lily and I will be heading to Vegas!! WOOP WOOP! We will be there for five days 4 nights. She has a vacation club and has graciously agreed to share it with me! Shes awesome!! So I'm taking her for a dinner cruise as a thank you. Anyway, here are the tours we've decided to take.
The first night we are going to the tournament of Kings. The second night we will be taking the Las Vegas Night on the Town Tour And last but not least, the third night we will be enjoying The Lake Mead Dinner Cruise
I tried really hard to get Lily to check these guys out, but she adamantly refused.....ah well, maybe next time (JK).
I will post up some fun pics when I return!
The first night we are going to the tournament of Kings. The second night we will be taking the Las Vegas Night on the Town Tour And last but not least, the third night we will be enjoying The Lake Mead Dinner Cruise
I tried really hard to get Lily to check these guys out, but she adamantly refused.....ah well, maybe next time (JK).
I will post up some fun pics when I return!
Oregon Or Bust
So we took a family vacation to Oregon over the Memorial Day weekend. We were going to go camping at the KOA in Central Point and do some fishing etc. We got rained out of our campsite, no worries, we camped out at the Red Lion in Medford. We made blanket tents for the kids, smores in the microwave, and swam until our hearts content. :) On Sunday we took the kids fishing. They had a great time. Christian just wanted to keep reeling his in and Caitlin was mad because she couldn't figure out how to cast her's out. Our pics from our trip are here: www.flickr.com/photos/kellyschaos
Lazy Starbucks Employees
To whom it may concern:
My friends and I have been long time Starbucks customers, particularly your location at Almaden & Curtner 2306 Almaden Rd San Jose, California 95125 (for the last 2 years, possibly more). Every Tuesday after the movies, my friends and I congregate at your store to drink coffee, play games, and just hang out. We are stay-at-home moms and this is our only time out and away from home to enjoy ourselves as adults without interruptions from our children. As you can imagine, this is our re-cooping time and we anticipate it each and every Tuesday night, particularly coming to Starbucks. Over the past month we've noticed some non-customer-friendly behavior from a few of your employees. Please see below.
May 2, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
At 9:30 my friends and I arrived at Starbucks. We noticed that the bathrooms were blocked off with chairs. At that time we thought nothing of it and assumed that a toilet might possibly have overflowed or they were having plumbing problems. At 10:30 the chairs were still there; some individuals went past them, and others walked away without using the restroom. We were curious, as all three of us had to use the restroom. We approached the employees asking if there was a problem with the bathroom. The lady behind the counter stated, "No, we've cleaned the bathrooms and we don’t want anyone to go in there and fall." My friends and I continued with our coffee waiting to see if the restrooms would finally open up. As of 10:50 pm they had not. So I chose to use the restroom anyway (when ya gotta go ya gotta go). As I was using the restroom, my friends noticed that the lady who had informed us the bathrooms were closed started becoming irate that I had walked past the chairs to use the "newly cleaned" bathroom. If your establishment is open, so should your restrooms be unless there's a problem or you've notified customers ahead of time. This same night the crew members started cleaning the sitting area at 9:45: mopping, sweeping, putting up chairs on tables. Your store closes at 11. These actions give the impression that customers are not wanted and the appearance that the store is closed; in return YOU lose money. Also during the evening, an employee, a larger gentleman in his early to mid 20’s told a group of individuals outside on the patio area that they needed to leave in 5 to10 minutes that the store would be closing. The time was 10:40.
May 9, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
My friends and I again arrived at 9:30. At approximately 10:00 the same gentleman as above began cleaning the sitting area again: putting up chairs, mopping the floors, and bringing in outside tables and chairs and stacking them in the main areas. At this time we also noticed that several groups of people began to leave including individuals who were working on their computers. At 10:50, he gave a 10 minute warning that everyone must leave as they would be closing the store at this time.
May 16, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
Again we arrive at approximately 9:30. At 10:00pm the same routine as before began. At 10:30, my friends and I went to use your restroom and the gentleman as before was cleaning them. They seemed to be out-of-service, so we asked if we could use the restrooms. This time he stated yes.
May 19, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
Arrival again at 9:30, same routine as the above mentioned.
May 30, 06 9:30-11:00
After speaking with Kristy (assistant manager) Tuesday morning, there was a noticeable difference in service. Bathrooms remained open, floors were not being mopped before 11:00, etc. However, the chairs were put up onto tables at 10:40 and patrons began checking their watches and started to leave. One woman even stepped outside briefly to verify the business hours before returning to her table. This evening we noticed an increase in the number of patrons compared to previous Tuesday nights, possibly due to the store not appearing closed at 9:30. Also we would like to mention that while the general service seemed improved, our service was followed by hushed snickering and stares in our direction. We are not trying to be petty, but they do know us as regulars and since we gave specific details to the assistant manager that I'm sure she passed on, it is reasonable to assume they know who made the complaints. It is our intention to see Starbucks quality service restored to this location: “…putting people before products…”
As I hope you can see from the above examples, we are extremely frustrated. We are continually feeling as though we are rushed to enjoy our time or that we are a burden to the individuals working at your store. In the past, some of this same behavior took place when the store closed at 10 but not to the extreme that it has been happening since the closing time changed to 11. We love spending time in your store and would love to continue doing so, but not under these unfriendly circumstances. There are many other places that would be happy to provide a genuine customer friendly atmosphere for us to enjoy our time out.
Sincerely,
The Coffee Horde
My friends and I have been long time Starbucks customers, particularly your location at Almaden & Curtner 2306 Almaden Rd San Jose, California 95125 (for the last 2 years, possibly more). Every Tuesday after the movies, my friends and I congregate at your store to drink coffee, play games, and just hang out. We are stay-at-home moms and this is our only time out and away from home to enjoy ourselves as adults without interruptions from our children. As you can imagine, this is our re-cooping time and we anticipate it each and every Tuesday night, particularly coming to Starbucks. Over the past month we've noticed some non-customer-friendly behavior from a few of your employees. Please see below.
May 2, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
At 9:30 my friends and I arrived at Starbucks. We noticed that the bathrooms were blocked off with chairs. At that time we thought nothing of it and assumed that a toilet might possibly have overflowed or they were having plumbing problems. At 10:30 the chairs were still there; some individuals went past them, and others walked away without using the restroom. We were curious, as all three of us had to use the restroom. We approached the employees asking if there was a problem with the bathroom. The lady behind the counter stated, "No, we've cleaned the bathrooms and we don’t want anyone to go in there and fall." My friends and I continued with our coffee waiting to see if the restrooms would finally open up. As of 10:50 pm they had not. So I chose to use the restroom anyway (when ya gotta go ya gotta go). As I was using the restroom, my friends noticed that the lady who had informed us the bathrooms were closed started becoming irate that I had walked past the chairs to use the "newly cleaned" bathroom. If your establishment is open, so should your restrooms be unless there's a problem or you've notified customers ahead of time. This same night the crew members started cleaning the sitting area at 9:45: mopping, sweeping, putting up chairs on tables. Your store closes at 11. These actions give the impression that customers are not wanted and the appearance that the store is closed; in return YOU lose money. Also during the evening, an employee, a larger gentleman in his early to mid 20’s told a group of individuals outside on the patio area that they needed to leave in 5 to10 minutes that the store would be closing. The time was 10:40.
May 9, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
My friends and I again arrived at 9:30. At approximately 10:00 the same gentleman as above began cleaning the sitting area again: putting up chairs, mopping the floors, and bringing in outside tables and chairs and stacking them in the main areas. At this time we also noticed that several groups of people began to leave including individuals who were working on their computers. At 10:50, he gave a 10 minute warning that everyone must leave as they would be closing the store at this time.
May 16, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
Again we arrive at approximately 9:30. At 10:00pm the same routine as before began. At 10:30, my friends and I went to use your restroom and the gentleman as before was cleaning them. They seemed to be out-of-service, so we asked if we could use the restrooms. This time he stated yes.
May 19, 06 9:30 - 11:00pm
Arrival again at 9:30, same routine as the above mentioned.
May 30, 06 9:30-11:00
After speaking with Kristy (assistant manager) Tuesday morning, there was a noticeable difference in service. Bathrooms remained open, floors were not being mopped before 11:00, etc. However, the chairs were put up onto tables at 10:40 and patrons began checking their watches and started to leave. One woman even stepped outside briefly to verify the business hours before returning to her table. This evening we noticed an increase in the number of patrons compared to previous Tuesday nights, possibly due to the store not appearing closed at 9:30. Also we would like to mention that while the general service seemed improved, our service was followed by hushed snickering and stares in our direction. We are not trying to be petty, but they do know us as regulars and since we gave specific details to the assistant manager that I'm sure she passed on, it is reasonable to assume they know who made the complaints. It is our intention to see Starbucks quality service restored to this location: “…putting people before products…”
As I hope you can see from the above examples, we are extremely frustrated. We are continually feeling as though we are rushed to enjoy our time or that we are a burden to the individuals working at your store. In the past, some of this same behavior took place when the store closed at 10 but not to the extreme that it has been happening since the closing time changed to 11. We love spending time in your store and would love to continue doing so, but not under these unfriendly circumstances. There are many other places that would be happy to provide a genuine customer friendly atmosphere for us to enjoy our time out.
Sincerely,
The Coffee Horde
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)