I'm almost in awe of her;
When we first met I was impressed,
By her bizarre behavior.

That day I had a date with friends,
We met to have some lunch;
Mae had come along with them,
All in all ... a pleasant bunch.

When the menus were presented,
We ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups;
Except for Mae who circumvented,
And said, "Ice-cream, please. Two scoops."

I was not sure my ears heard right,
And the others were aghast;
"Along with heated apple pie,"
Mae smiled, completely unabashed.

We tried to act quite nonchalant,
As if people did this all the time;
But when our orders were brought out,
I did not enjoy mine.

I could not take my eyes off Mae,
As her pie ALA-mode went down;
The other ladies showed dismay,
They ate their lunches, and they frowned

Well, the next time I went out to eat,
I called and invited Mae;
My lunch contained white tuna meat,
She ordered a parfait.

I smiled when her dish I viewed,
She asked if she amused me;
I answered, "Yes, you do,
And you also do confuse me."

"How come you order rich desserts
When I feel I must be sensible?"
She laughed and said, with wanton mirth,
"I am tasting all that's possible."

"I try to eat the food I need,
And do the things I should;
But life's so short, my friend, indeed,
I hate missing out on something good.

"This year I realized I was old,"
She grinned, "I've not been this old before;
So, before I die, I've got to try,
Those things for years I have ignored.

"I've not smelled all the flowers yet,
And too many books I have not read;
There's more fudge sundaes to woof down,
And kites to be flown overhead."

"There's many malls I have not shopped,
I've not laughed at all the jokes;
I've missed a lot of Broadway Hits,
And potato chips and cokes.

"I want to wade again in water,
And feel ocean spray upon my face;
Sit in a country church once more,
And thank God for His grace."

"I want peanut butter every day,
Spread on my morning toast;
I want UN-timed long-distance calls,
To the folks I love the most."

"I've not cried at all the movies yet,
Nor walked in the morning rain;
I need to feel wind in my hair,
I want to fall in love again."

"So, if I choose to have dessert,
Instead of having dinner;
If I should die before nightfall,
You'd have to say I died a winner."

"That I missed out on nothing,
That I had my heart's desire;
That I had that final chocolate mousse,
Before my life expired."

With that, I called the waitress over,
"I've changed my mind, it seems;"
I said, "I want what she is having,
Only add some more whipped-cream!"

THE CRACKED POT

       A Water Bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a
       pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, 
       and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water 
       at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, 
       the cracked pot arrived only half full.

       For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering
       Only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.
       f course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, 
       perfect to the end for which it was made.
       But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, 
       and miserable that it was able to accomplish 
       only half of what it had been made to do.

       After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it
       spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. 
       "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." 
       "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

       "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load 
       because this crack in my side causes water to leak out 
       all the way back to your master's house. 
       Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, 
       and you don't get full value 
       from your efforts," the pot said.

       The Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
       compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, 
       I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

       Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
       the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, 
       and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad 
       because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologised 
       to the bearer for its failure.

       The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers
       only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? 
       That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. 
       I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk 
       back from the stream, you've watered them.

       For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to
       Decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, 
       he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

       Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if
       We will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table.

       So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to the
       tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws.
 

       So, now you know, y'all crack pots... let's all join cracks..... 
       the more cracks... the better we are!

"Listen" 

When I ask you to listen to me,
and you start giving advice,
you have not done what I asked. 

When I ask you to listen to me,
and you begin to tell me,
why I shouldn't feel that way, 
you are trampling on my feelings. 

When I ask you to listen to me,
and you feel you have to,
o something to solve my problem, 
you have failed me, 
strange as that may seem. 

Listen! All I asked, was that you listen, 
not talk or do - just hear me. 
Advice is cheap: 
you can get it in Dear Abby and Billy Graham. 

And I can do for myself, 
I am not helpless. 
Maybe discouraged and faltering, 
but not helpless. 

When you do something for me,
that I can and need to do for myself, 
you contribute to my fear and weakness. 

But when you accept as a simple fact,
that I do feel what I feel, 
no matter how irrational, 
then I can quit trying to convince you, 
and can get about the business, 
of understanding what's behind, 
this irrational feeling. 

And when that's clear, 
the answers are obvious,
then I don't need advice. 

Irrational feelings make sense, 
when we understand what's behind them. 

So please listen, and just hear me.
And, if you want to talk, 
wait a minute for your turn, 
and I'll listen to you. 

Anonymous

In A Puddle 

In a puddle by the roadside
left by the warm, spring rain,
its waters dark and muddy
with the brown earth stain,
I saw a glorious mountain
that stood up bold and high
reflected in the water,
with a patch of cloud-decked sky.

Sometimes in folk around me
with burdens, hurts and fears:
through joyful, happy hours
and often through their tears:
in some loving acts of kindness
as they show how much they care-
in the lives of folk around me
I find God reflected there.
Cyrus Albertson

Nothing to Fear

There's nothing to fear --- you're as good as the best,
As strong as the mightiest, too.
You can win in every battle or test;
For there's no one just like you.
There's only one you in the world today;
So nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the only you there'll be !

So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live:
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give;
There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess ---
It is something you have to know.

There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will.
For you are the invincible you.
Set your foot on the highest hill ---
There's nothing you cannot do.

-- Author Unknown

Today

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, 
two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with its mistakes and cares, 
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. 

Yesterday has passed for ever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. 
We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single 
word we said.

Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow 
with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor
performance. 

Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. 
Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendour or behind a mask of 
clouds, but it will rise. 

Until it does we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - Today. 

Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. 
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities 
- Yesterday and Tomorrow - that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives you mad - 
it is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened 
Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow will bring. 

~author unknown~

-thanks Liz