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Stone Soup Stories
Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a
small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years
of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the
village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to
eat.
The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then
turned to the village elders. “Your tired fields have left you nothing to
share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup
from stones.”
Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the
town’s greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. “Now
this will be a fine soup”, said the second soldier; “but a pinch of salt
and some parsley would make it wonderful!” Up jumped a villager, crying
“What luck! I’ve just remembered where some’s been left!” And off she ran,
returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled
on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and
cream had found their way into the great pot, and a cask of wine was rolled
into the square as all sat down to feast.
They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast
and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to
find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel
of the village’s best breads and cheese. “You have given us the greatest of
gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones”, said an elder, “and we
shall never forget.” The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said:
“There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing
that we may make a feast”. And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.
Author Unknown
Guideposts
“We are like children, who stand in need of masters to
enlighten us and direct us; and God has provided for this, by appointing his angels to be our teachers and guides.”
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
God has given us the world as our playground. God has given us the opportunity to find out who we are. Like children, we find out who we are by experimenting with different aspects of who we are not. We are allowed to roam free doing as we choose, but after traveling in circles, our spirit speaks. With its soft gentle urgings, the soul motivates us to step up to the next level. We wish to be enlightened and guided as we seek personal growth, but we get angry with God for not providing us with the proper directions. When we open our eyes we will see the many guideposts God has placed along our path. These guideposts can be people, books, movies, songs, etc.; yet they will only come into focus once our perceptions have changed.
By providing us angels, God has given us the ability to
reach our true potential. Great men and women have walked the earth trying to show us the way to the mountaintop. Most of us attempt to blaze our own trail up the peak, refusing to follow the paths of these angels. After many failed attempts, we usually look for a guide to show us the way.
Why do we delay in seeking direction? Must we suffer the pain and humiliation of repeating the lesson? We are like spoiled children who go kicking and screaming until they get their way. When we let go of our own pride and are able to ask for help, then the answers are provided. God has supplied us with all we need, yet our perceptions keep us blind to the truth.
Gary Barnes
Copyright 2000
36 Christian Ways To Reduce Stress
An Angel says, “Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.”
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between
despair and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus.”
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most.
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)