In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high
esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you
know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before you talk to me about my
friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going
to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is
Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is
true?”

“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and.”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or
not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you
are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“Umm, no, on the contrary.”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my
friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test
though, because there’s one filter left-the filter of Usefulness. Is what
you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither
true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

[Original source unknown. Thanks to Adam for the forward. Worth thinking
about!]

~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a  carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days’ work, ” he said. Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. ” I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! A few weeks ago there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.

Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence — so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”

The carpenter said, ” I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day — measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped.

There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge… a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched. ” You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.” The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand and embraced.

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.

No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother. I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build. But please remember this …

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove,
but He’ll ask how many people you helped get where they needed to go.

God won’t ask the square footage of your house,
but He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet,
but He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won’t ask how many friends you had,
but He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived,
but He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won’t ask about the color of your skin,
but He’ll ask about the content of your character.

God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation,
but He’ll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell

~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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When God regenerated me, He saved my soul from hell. I await the day when He saves this flesh and makes it eternally new. Meanwhile, I am told to “renew” my mind by changing the “stinking thinking” of this world and replace it with the positive truth of the Bible.

We say, “It’s impossible.”
GOD says, All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)

We say, “I’m too tired.”
GOD says, I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)

We say, “Nobody really loves me.”
GOD says, I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

We say, “I can’t go on.”
GOD says, My grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

We say, “I can’t figure things out.”
GOD says, I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We say, “I can’t do it.”
GOD says, You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)

We say, “I’m not able.”
GOD says, I am able. (II Corinthians 9:8)

We say, “It’s not worth it.”
GOD says, It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28)

We say, “I can’t forgive myself.”
GOD says, I forgive you. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

We say, “I can’t manage.”
GOD says, I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)

We say, “I’m afraid.”
GOD says, I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy 1:7)

We say, “I’m always worried and frustrated.”
GOD says, Cast all your cares on Me. (I Peter 5:7)

We say, “I don’t have enough faith.”
GOD says, I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

We say, “I’m not smart enough.”
GOD says, I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)

We say, “I feel all alone.”
GOD says, I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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A Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the “Rowing Team Quality First Program”, with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year’s racing team was outsourced to India.

The End.  

(A little too real, eh?  Thanks for the forward, Jim)
~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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The young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is this the long way?”
she asked. And the guide said: “Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be
old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the
beginning.”

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything
could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and
gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear
streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, “Nothing
will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children
shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them
with her mantle, and the children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you
are near, and no harm can come.”

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed
and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the
children,” A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed, and
when they reached the top they said, “Mother, we would not have done it
without you.”

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said,
“This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude
in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I’ve given
them strength.”

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war
and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother
said: “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.” And the children looked and
saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the
darkness. And that night the Mother said, “This is the best day of all, for
I have shown my children God.”

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the
mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and
strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted
her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and
beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother
said, “I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is
better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their
children after them.”

And the children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you
have gone through the gates.” And they stood and watched her as she went on
alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her
but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is
a living presence for all eternity.”

[author unknown]

~~
Dr Bob, http://grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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A nine-year-old kid is sitting at his desk and all of a sudden there is a
puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his
heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has
happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find
out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never
speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy puts his head down and prays, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I
need help now!

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her
eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him,
a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with
water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl
of water in the boy’s lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank
you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”

Now, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of
sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put
on while his pants dry out. All the other children get on their hands and
knees to clean up around his desk. But as life would have it, the ridicule
that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. “You’ve done enough, you
klutz!”

At the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy whispers to
Susie, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”

[thanks, Ronn for the forward]

~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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The man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 6
year old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”

“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man
said angrily.

“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much you make an hour?” pleaded
the little boy.

“If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up he said, “Daddy, may I
borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much
money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other
nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think
about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and
don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down
and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare
he ask such questions only to get some money?

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may
have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really
needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn’t ask for money very
often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the
door.

“Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man.
“It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that
$10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled.
Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills
that he had saved since Christmas. The man, seeing the boy already had
money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.
“Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

~~
Dr Bob Griffin, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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The Associated Press announced that the US Navy has launched the USS New York. With the retirement of a nuclear submarine with the same name, the name was give to the fifth in a new class of warship – designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

The USS New York was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. Steel from the World Trade Center was melted  down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship’s bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, “those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,” recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was present. “It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.”

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the Trade Center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up.” “It had a big meaning to it for all of us,” he said. “They knocked us down, but they can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back.”

The ship’s motto? – “Never Forget”

Story Verified:   Snopes.com 
                      CBS.com
                      US Navy Fact Sheet

~~
Dr Bob, www.grif.net
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

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