were you in any way been into a situation where you are trapped?  where it seemed that there were no place to go to and nothin else more to do?

how were you able to handle it?  wanna share?

your experiences and lessons learned may be able to help others who are going through the same situation right now.

*this is an addition to make my question clear (ty catherine) - trapped in a sense, like you are trapped emotionally, or mentally, or spiritually.  was it from family, friends, parents, spouse, kids, enemy...?

Don't know if this is really a true story, but the lesson is for real. This is a forwarded email that i want to share to those who have not read it yet.

=======================================

BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, " Daddy,I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or you wish to take revenge. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

One day I decided to quit...

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light.

I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth.

Its brilliant green covered the floor.

Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would

not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared

to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6

months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".

"I would not quit on the bamboo.

I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others."

He said.

"The bamboo had adifferent Purpose than the fern.

Yet they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me.

"You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?"

I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

Never, Never, Never Give up.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.

Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,

tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

"a reminder"(?)

====================================

I asked God to take away my pride.

God said "No."

It is not for Me to take away,

but for you to give it up.

 

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.

God said "No."

Her spirit was whole,

her body was only temporary.

 

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said "No."

Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;

it isn't granted,

it is earned.

 

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said "No."

I give you blessings,

happiness is up to you.

 

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said "No."

Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares

and brings you closer to Me.

 

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said "No."

You must grow on your own,

but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

 

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.

God said "No."

I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

 

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.

God said... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!

 

 ~Author Unknown~

I'm just sitting here in front of my laptop, knowing not what to blog... so what i did is read messages, and i came across this onw, i know some of you might have read this, i already had a long time ago, but the lesson is still there, so as a reminder, i'm posting this here.


The Duck & the Devil

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.
He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target.
Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma s pet duck.
Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, Sally, let s wash the dishes
But Sally said, Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.
Then she whispered to him, Remember the duck?

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, I m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.

Sally just smiled and said, Well that s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.

She whispered again, Remember the duck? So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several day of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he
finally couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.

Thought for the day and every day thereafter?

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ..whatever it is...You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.

He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He s just wondering how long you will

for all the parents out there, this is something to really think about...

Anyway

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you

...anyway."


~Author Unknown~

It was a cold winter's day that Sunday.  The parking lot to the
church was filling up quickly.  I noticed as I got out of my car
that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as
they walked to the church.

As I got closer, I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside
the church.  He was almost lying down as if he was asleep.
He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat
topped his head that was pulled down so you could not see his
face.  He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his
feet with holes all over them and his toes stuck out.

I assumed this man was homeless and asleep, so I walked on by
through the doors of the church.  We all gathered for fellowship
for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man lying
outside.  People snickered and gossiped, but no one bothered to
ask him to come in, including me.

A few moments later church began.  We all waited for the
preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the
doors to the church opened.

In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head
down.  People gasped and whispered and made faces.  He made his
way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit and he took off his
hat and coat.

My heart sank.

There stood our preacher.  He was the "homeless man."

No one said a word.  The preacher took his Bible and laid it on
the stand.

"Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching
about today."

Then he started singing the words to this song:
If I can help somebody as I pass along.
If I can cheer somebody with word or song.
If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

~Author Unknown~

Ten Traits That Make You Filthy-Rich
by Jeffrey Strain
Friday, February 1, 2008
provided by STREET.COM

Saving money isn't all about whether or not you know how to score screaming bargains.

It has more to do with your attitude toward money.

Just think of those who don't fit the filthy-rich stereotype. People like Warren Buffet.

As explained in the book The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, personal finance has as much to do with people's traits as it does with money. Many millionaires, in fact, have frugal ways.

Understanding how personal traits can influence your finances is an essential ingredient for building wealth.

Here are 10 key traits:

1. Patience

Patience is one of the most important traits when it comes to saving money.

This means waiting until the first wave of product hype has passed, keeping a car for an extra few years before getting another one and waiting until something you want fits into your budget instead of putting it on credit.

Patience is often the difference between creating savings and being in debt. Having the patience to wait until you find a good deal is a cornerstone of good finances.

2. Satisfaction

When you're satisfied, there is no reason to spend money on nonessentials. The sole purpose of commercials is to make you believe that buying a product or service will make you happier, wealthier, better looking or improve whatever isn't bringing you satisfaction.

People spend because they want to capture the excitement shown in advertisements. When you are satisfied with what you have and your life (not trying to live like those on TV), your finances will be in a lot better shape.

3. Organization

Being organized can make you more productive and ensure that all the many issues pertaining to personal finances are addressed.

It means not paying late fees, not buying two of everything, knowing deadlines that can affect your finances and getting more done in less time. All these can greatly benefit your finances.

4. Discipline

You need the discipline to continue to save money for specific, long-term goals every month.

Personal finance isn't a way to get rich quick, but is a disciplined execution of your lifetime plans.

5. Reflectiveness

It's important to be able to look at your financial decisions and reflect on their results.

You're going to make financial mistakes. Everyone does.

The key is to learn from those mistakes so you don't make them again, or recognize if you keep repeating them.

6. Creativity

The economy and our earnings don't always match our expectations.

Unexpected developments wreak havoc to elaborate financial plans. When this happens, changes are needed to deal with the new circumstances. Creativity is essential to accomplish this.

Creativity allows you to make something last longer rather than purchasing it when you don't have the money. It means juggling money to stay out of debt rather than simply paying with a credit card. It means finding a cheaper alternative when money is tight.

In these ways, creativity plays a large role in keeping finances in order.

7. Curiosity

Having curiosity helps you learn, study and improve yourself.

The curiosity of wanting to know more, to take the time to study and then take what is learned and put into practice is an important process that is driven by curiosity.

8. Risk-Taking

To build wealth, one needs to be willing to take risks. This doesn't mean uncalculated risks. It means weighing all the options and taking calculated risks when appropriate.

The stock market has risks involved, but over the long term, history shows that it provides good returns on money that is invested wisely. Those who fear risk altogether end up saving money in accounts that likely lose money to inflation in the long run.

9. Goal-Oriented

The importance of setting and working toward goals is obvious. If you don't know where you are going, it's difficult to get there. It helps your personal finances immensely if you have money goals and are motivated to reach the goals that you have set for yourself.

Those who lack goals don't have a road map to take them to the financial destination they want.

10. Hard- and Smart-Working:

Creating wealth and staying out of debt rarely comes about without a lot of hard work.

Many people might hope that the lottery will solve all their financial problems. The true path to financial freedom, however, is to work hard to earn money while educating yourself to continue to have more value and increase your salary.

You may not possess all of the above traits. But knowing them can help you make changes so that you nourish the ones that you have and obtain the ones you're missing.

Ultimately they will help you with your personal finances and create a plan to accumulate the wealth you desire.

======

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats 
those who can do nothing for him."
James D. Miles


Everyone respects and helps the millionaire, the famous, the 
boss, those with beauty and brains.

What about the bum on the street?

This is a real story. It happened to me, the writer of 
MountainWings.com.

I was parked in front of the church cleaning out my Jeep.  I was 
waiting on someone.

Coming my way from across the street was what society would 
consider a bum.

From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean 
clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous 
but there are other times that you just don't want to be 
bothered.

This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.

He didn't.

He came and sat on the wall in front of the bus stop to wait on 
the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

"That's a very pretty Jeep," he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His 
scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said,
"thanks," and continued cleaning out the Jeep.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money 
never came.

As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask 
him if he needs any help."

I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner 
voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall 
never forget.

We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect 
it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I 
expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand.

He spoke the three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above 
a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a 
twelve gauge shotgun.

Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I 
needed help.

I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus 
fare, but enough to take a cab anywhere in the city and get 
food and shelter for the day.

Those three little words still ring true.

No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have 
accomplished, you need help too.

No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are 
with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can 
give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone who appears to 
have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they 
don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at 
something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you 
through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the 
streets.

Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to 
minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a 
bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the Jeep, 
that man needs help."

Don't we all?

~A MountainWings Original~