Inspire 21

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

pbarkelew — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:01:25 +0000

Written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997, and made famous by Baz Luhrmann on YouTube (see bottom).

Inspire 21

inspireuser — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:51:31 +0000

Click to view and send this inspirational ecard as well as browse our large selection of inspiring free ecards.

God's Rosebud

pbarkelew — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:01:15 +0000

  -- Author unknown

A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day.

 Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. 

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any of the petals.  

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry.  

Jump From 20 Miles Up

pbarkelew — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:34:14 +0000

-- A True Story

Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name like Neil Armstrong or Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U. S. space program is comparable. On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the then-fledgling U. S. space program, Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger rode a helium balloon to the edge of space, 102,800 feet above the earth, a feat in itself.  

Then, wearing just a thin pressure suit and breathing supplemental oxygen, he leaned over the cramped confines of his gondola and jumped--into the 110-degree-below-zero, near-vacuum of space. Within seconds his body accelerated to 714mph in the thin air, breaking the sound barrier.

Bad by name; bad by nature?

pbarkelew — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:03:26 +0000

Source: "Long Walk To Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

During Nelson Mandela's 19 years imprisoned on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer was the most brutal of them all:

"A few days before Badenhorst's departure, I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands. When I had finished, Badenhorst spoke to me directly.

The Pastor's Cat

pbarkelew — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:21:43 +0000

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc.

The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.

A Glass of Milk

pbarkelew — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:35:55 +0000

This is a TRUE STORY -- Author Unknown

One day, a poor boy, who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you? "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

Feel Good About Who You Are

pbarkelew — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:47:22 +0000

-- Author Unknown

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it 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 house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

The Barber

pbarkelew — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:39:24 +0000

-- Author unknown (used with permission by Servant Quarters)

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

The Ant and the Contact Lens

pbarkelew — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:14:42 +0000

A True Story -- By Josh and Karen Zarandona

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold of the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.