Inspire

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."   Mark Twain

Inspire

Inspire

Inspire

^{Matt 30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Only the man who follows the command of Jesus single-mindedly, and unresistingly lets His yoke rest upon him, finds his burden easy, and under its gently pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. 

The command of Jesus is hard, unutterable hard, for those who try to resist it. 

But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy and the burden is light.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Inspire

Inspire

"What you receive from others is a testimony to their virtue; but all that you do for others is the sign and clear indication of your own."   Giordano Bruno

Inspire - As we Begin 2012 - Give this some thought

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007,

this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.

During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing.

He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. 

About 4 minutes later: 

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 

At 6 minutes: 

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.

The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk,

turning his head the whole time.

This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent

- without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.

About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: 

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded.

There was no recognition at all. 

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.

He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each

to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story.

Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post

as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. 

This experiment raised several questions: 

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it? 

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: 

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world,

playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made... 

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life? 

-- 
May the LORD bless you,

Brian Hughes

Gal. 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ.

Inspire

Prov. 30:7ff  Two things have I required of thee; 
 Deny me them not before I die: 
8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: 
 Give me neither poverty nor riches; 
 Feed me with food convenient for me: 
9  Lest I be full, and deny thee, 
 And say, Who is the Lord? 
 Or lest I be poor, and steal, 
 And take the name of my God in vain

Inspire

A Builder or a Wrecker

As I watched them tear a building down 
A gang of men in a busy town 
With a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell 
They swung a beam and the side wall fell

I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled, 
And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build?" 
He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed, 
Just common labor is all I need."

"I can easily wreck in a day or two, 
What builders have taken years to do." 
And I thought to myself, as I went my way 
Which of these roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care, 
Measuring life by rule and square? 
Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan 
Patiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks to town 
Content with the labor of tearing down? 
"O Lord let my life and my labors be 
That which will build for eternity!"

-Author Unknown

Inspire

^{Matthew 1:18ff} Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. ²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.