Thursday, December 25, 2008

The meaning of Christmas

Just a week before Christmas I had a surprise visitor. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask him. The words choked in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement: "TEACH THE CHILDREN!"

I was puzzled: "What did he mean?" He anticipated myquestion, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.

As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas, the meaning that today's Christmas has forgotten!" Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a small fir tree and placed it on the mantle.

"Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant star: "Teach the children that the star wasthe heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised aSavior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of that promise."

He then reached into the bag and pulled out a candle: "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes Christ, the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and then removed a wreath and placed it on the tree: "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love, and the love that the Lord has for us is never ending."

He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of himself--Santa Claus: "Teach the children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

He reached in again and pulled out a holly leaf: "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled out a gift from the bag: "Teach the children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should give gifts inthe same spirit as the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a candy cane and hung it on the tree: "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps bring back strayed sheep from the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an angel: "Teach the children that it was the angels who heralded inthe glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace and good will.'"

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a bell: "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of a bell, it should bring people to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw the twinkle was back in his eyes.

He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas, and not to put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down and worship Him, our Lord, our God."

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Beautiful quotes

Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world.
If you compare, you are insulting yourself.

No one will manufacture a lock without a key.
Similarly God won't give problems without solutions.

Life laughs at you when you are unhappy...
Life smiles at you when you are happy...
Life salutes you when you make others happy.

Easy is to judge the mistake of others.
Difficult is to recognise our own mistakes.

It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to cover the earth with carpet.

No one can go back and change a bad beginning;
But anyone can start now and create a successful ending.

If a problem can be solved, no need to worry about it.
If a problem cannot be solved what is the use of worrying?

If you miss an opportunity don't fill the eyes with tears.
It will hide another better opportunity in front of you.

'Changing the Face' can change nothing.
But 'Facing the Change' can change everything.

Don't complain about others;
Change yourself if you want peace.

Mistakes are painful when they happen.
But years later collection of mistakes is called experience, which leads to success.
Be bold when you loose and be calm when you win.

Heated gold becomes ornament.
Beaten copper becomes wires.
Depleted stone becomes statue.
So the more pain you get in life you become more valuable.

Every successful person has a painful story.
Every painful story has a successful ending.
Accept the pain and get ready for success.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

好話 v.s 壞話 … 只在一念之間

作者:劉墉

說件 「鮮事」 給您聽──
有個丈夫跟太太親熱,撫摸著太太,很有情趣地讚美:「妳的皮膚摸起來真細,絕不像四十歲的女人。」
太太笑:「是啊!最近摸過的人都這麼說。」

『啪!』 一記耳光。

丈夫吼道:「妳最近讓多少人摸過?妳老實招來!」
太太摀著臉,哭著喊:「大家是這麼說啊!每個護膚中心的小姐都這麼說。」

這是真事,但是怎麼看都像笑話對不對?
問題是,當你細心觀察就會發現,我們周遭充滿這樣的笑話。

只因為一句話沒說對,就把喜劇變成了悲劇,把眼看就要辦成的好事變成了壞事。

「話」人人會說,只是不見得人人會說話;有話好說,只是不見得人人說好話。
不說好話的道理很簡單──因為他沒有多想一想。

舉個例子:最近我有個朋友,在他新居的後院搭了間工具房。那工具房是買現成的材料,再自己拼裝的,專門用來放剪草機、鏟子、鋤頭這些整理花園的工具。

可是我這朋友興高采烈地才拼裝到一半,他的鄰居竟然隔著牆喊:「你亂蓋房子,是違法的。」
我這朋友氣極了,跑到建管處去問,得到的答案是蓋十呎乘十呎以內的工具屋,
不違法;只有超過,才違法。

他回去量了量自己買的工具屋,是十呎乘十二呎,多了兩呎,於是拿去退掉,換成合法的尺寸。

工具屋搭好了,他跑來對我說:「我非要去糗糗我那鄰居不可,我要告訴他中國人不好欺負,
我去政府單位問過了,現在搭的絕對合法,歡迎他去告!」

「你何必這麼說呢?」我勸他,您何不換個方式,對他說: 『真是謝謝你,幸虧你提醒我,
不然我的工具屋多了兩呎,因為違法得拆除,就白蓋了。』 你不是照樣讓他知道你去問過政府單位,現在是合法建築了嗎?」

朋友想了想,覺得有理,照辦了。結果不但沒有得罪鄰居,還交上了好朋友。

再說個故事。
有個人和他太太為了一點小事吵架,要離婚,起因居然不但不是壞事,還是好事。

那一天,他太太買到一條上好的石斑魚,特別打電話到辦公室:「你離開辦公室的時候,打個電話回來,我好下鍋蒸, 這石斑魚,多一分鐘少一分鐘都不成。」

那太太想得很好,丈夫出門,她蒸魚,丈夫進門,正好上桌。
偏偏她丈夫下班的時候,才打完電話,說要出門了,就碰上個客戶突然造訪,耽誤了二十分鐘。

「糟了!」 送走客戶,丈夫心想,趕緊又撥個電話回家: 「對不起,臨時有事,現在才能走。」

太太一聽,在那頭跳了起來: 「什麼?你還在辦公室? 你不知道魚涼了不好吃嗎?你知道這條石斑魚多少錢嗎?」

丈夫沒多吭氣,匆匆忙忙開車回去,一路想,一路急,加上晚了,餓,胃都急疼了,路上還差點撞了人。

進門沒好氣地說一句: 「魚涼了就涼了嘛!熱熱不就得了?」 太太也沒好氣: 「你是沒命吃好魚,以後給你吃涼的。」

兩個人當然 「吵翻了」,拉開嗓子吼,把孩子都嚇哭了,一條好好的石斑魚,放在桌上,誰都沒吃,還差點離了婚。

你說,他們是會說話嗎?
如果那作太太的,能像我那搭工具屋的朋友,換個角度說: 「別急!別急!魚涼了,微波爐熱一分鐘就成了,開車小心點,我們等你。」

會說話與不會說話,常在那一念之間。
一念之間,他懂得忍、懂得退一步想,想想壞話怎麼好說, 狠話怎麼柔說,就可能有個喜劇的結局。
那一念之間,他毫不考慮地脫口而出,則可能是個悲劇的結尾。
雖然許多人讚美我口才好,但是我從不這麼認為,而且覺得自己年輕的時候總是說錯話。

即使到今天,我每天晚上還是常把白天說的話想一想,檢討一下,是不是有不妥當,或者「有更好的說話方法」。
正因此,在這本書裡我提出的案例,都是最真實的,發生在大家身邊的小事。

而由那些小事裡,常能見到大學問;由那些簡單的話語中,常能觸及心靈的深處。