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Saturday, October 29, 2005
Sometimes we laugh


Sometimes we laugh

sometimes we cry

There are even times

we know not the reason why

But all through the years

laughter

or tears

Jesus is there

and He truly cares

Come when He calls you

sit by His side

that is where

you should always reside

He loves you

and seeks you

He cries out your name

He’s longing to help you

through all of you pain.

Have you answered His call?

Do you trust in His name?

If you don’t seek Him

it’s truly a shame.
 
posted by Rulan at 4:35 PM | Permalink | 12 comments
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Something to lighten the day
Oh man, if you are in the mood to read a funny, but true story, go to my friend’s blog at The Curmudgeon's Rant
He had a little run in with a very persistent critter. My friend sure knows how to bring a tail to life. You’ll get my point when you read it. I would be very surprised if you don’t have a good giggle cause it sure made me laugh, although I do feel a little sorry for him. chuckle
Oh, and don't forget to say hi to him. We all like to know that our blogs reach people.

Guess what crazy thing I have done? Oh no, utter maddness. Thanks to curm, (my above mentioned friend) I have signed up for NaNo. If you don't know what it is, it's the write a novel in one month contest starting on November 1st. eek.

I have never done anything like this before, but it looks like it will be great fun. I am getting excited about it. Wonder if I'll manage to cross the finish line. If I get the time, I might post my progress here. If you want to join in the maddness, it's not too late.

And don't forget to take a look at curm's story.
 
posted by Rulan at 9:37 AM | Permalink | 4 comments
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Day by the sea

From Bowentown Heads, looking north towards Waihi Beach, stretches 8 km of golden sand. At the time of this photo, the tide was going out and clouds reflected off a film of water.
 
posted by Rulan at 9:57 AM | Permalink | 9 comments
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Happy Thursday
I didn’t know what to post here this week, but then today a friend sent me this email and it touched my heart. I pray it touches you also.

What would you do?
You make the choice, don't look for a punch line. There isn't one.
Read it anyway.
My question to all of you is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled
children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he Offered a question.

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe, that when a child like Shay comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay
knew were playing baseball.

Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?"
Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and, getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'lltry to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on glove and played in the outfield.

Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Should they, at this juncture, let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.


The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game, but instead the pitcher took the ball and turned and threw the ball on a high arc to right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman.

Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay
rounded first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.


Shay ran toward second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously
circled the bases toward home. Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!"


As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming,
"Shay, run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was
cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team.


"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world."

AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second
thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices,
people think twice about sharing. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people on your address list that aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.


Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make
difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things."


So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up that opportunity, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
You now have two choices:

1. Not share this
2. Copy and Forward
 
posted by Rulan at 1:01 PM | Permalink | 3 comments
Sunday, October 09, 2005
A curious question
A friend and fellow blogger posted some interesting questions on

his blog and it reminded me of something I have often asked

people in the hope of getting them to think on a spiritual level.

Most people just roll their eyes at me, say it’s too deep for them

and quickly change the subject. So, I am curious, what do you

think the answer is?

In Heaven, if someone picks fruit from a tree up there, does another

one instantly appear to take its place or does it have to grow again?

The blog I mentioned above is http://passiontowrite.blogspot.com/
 
posted by Rulan at 1:34 PM | Permalink | 5 comments
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Standing with a heart that soars
 
posted by Rulan at 6:04 PM | Permalink | 4 comments
Friday, October 07, 2005
Storm within

Today the wildness stirs within me
it's longing to be free
I hunger for open places
hill top or endless sea
sandy shores they beckon
sand dunes bid me to climb
secret forests call me
their pathways I can't find
I'm trapped here in a city
concrete paths they hem me in
I long for open places
oh why can't I be free?
 
posted by Rulan at 3:41 PM | Permalink | 6 comments
Monday, October 03, 2005
Don't let the sun go down


If someone offends you,

go and tell them how you feel.

If you ever truly cared for them,

then let them be real.

People have their bad days

and sometimes words offend.

Perhaps they never meant to harm you

and thought you’d understand.

Poor choice of words

a jest made in haste

they never meant their words

to slap you in the face.

Perhaps it was their way

of hiding their own pain.

Please don’t let your anger

cause them so much shame.

Don’t let the sun go down

with anger in your heart

such grief is bitter poison

if you let it make its mark.
 
posted by Rulan at 6:12 AM | Permalink | 11 comments