What happens to us is less important than how we react to it. Take the case of the donkey that fell in a pit. The farmer who owned the donkey had trouble figuring out how to get him out. He decided just to bury the old donkey where he was by filling in the pit. …
Ole was the pastor of the Norwegian Lutheran Church. Pastor Sven was the pastor of the Swedish Covenant Church just down the street in their small town. One day they joined forces and were seen pounding a sign into the ground. It read, “DA END ISS NEAR! TURN YERSELF AROUNT NOW BAFOR IT ISS TOO…
A medical study conducted in Denmark with 607 patients who had heart disease, indicated that participants with more positive attitudes were 58 percent more likely to live at least another five years. It may have been partly because they were also more likely to be more active. A positive attitude may not only extend one’s…
A pastor asked his congregation to read Mark, chapter 17 in preparation for the next week’s sermon. The following Sunday he asked for a show of hands of those who had read the passage. Several in attendance raised their hands. Then, the pastor proceeded to give his sermon on honesty. What the pastor knew that…
Three pastors were having lunch together. One said, “I’ve been having trouble with bats in my church balcony. I’ve tried everything––noise, spray, cats, but nothing seems to scare them away.” Another said, “Me too. I’ve got hundreds living in my belfry. I’ve even had the place fumigated, and they won’t go away.” The third pastor said,…
A farmer and his brand new bride were riding home from the wedding chapel in a horse-drawn carriage when the old horse stumbled. The farmer said, “That’s once.” A little further along, the poor old horse stumbled again. The farmer said, “That’s twice.” After a little the poor old horse stumbled again. The farmer didn’t…
Gertie the church gossip kept sticking her nose into the other members’ private lives and spreading false rumors. Church members didn’t like it but didn’t know what to do. Gertie made a mistake when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the…
An elementary school teacher tried a little experiment with her students. She asked them to bring one tomato to school for each person who had been mean to them. They were to put the tomatoes in a plastic bag and carry them everywhere for a week. Some children had several tomatoes in their bags and…
One Sunday morning Jimmy was wondering why his friend Bobby was not at the game. By the time Bobby arrived, the game was well under way. “Why are you so late?” asked Jimmy. “I couldn’t decide between going to church and going to the game. So I tossed a coin,” said Bobby. “But that shouldn’t…
A young Christian man was working for a large corporation where he saw some very unscrupulous behavior. He didn’t want to be a part of it! He quit his job, withdrew his savings and moved back to his hometown. After he had been there a while, looking for a new job, he found out that…