12/29/2010

What If You Were Not Born?


Part 11 of 14: At Christmas eve, George suddenly finds himself in great financial trouble.

Part 01, Part 02, Part 03, Part 04, Part 05, Part 06, Part 07

Part 08, Part 09, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14



It's A Wonderful Life

One man's life can have more impact on things around him than anyone might realize. This was the main lesson in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". George Bailey (Stewart) has so many problems that he is thinking about ending it all - and on Christmas! Meanwhile in heaven, as the angels discuss George, the film shows his life in flashbacks. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence (Travers). George and Clarence got acquainted and in the course of their conversation George confided his frustrations in life to Clarence and wished that it was better if he were not born. Clarence the guardian angel granted George a brief moment of his wish and showed him what his town would have looked like if he were not born. Only then after that brief strange episode did George realized the value of his own life and he saw the unnoticed positive impact his seemingly less significant life had made on the lives of the people around him.

The movie starts off with everyone in town praying for the safety of a man by the name of George Bailey, who had apparently been acting strange lately. God receives these prayers and sends for Clarence Oddbody, an angel who had not yet earned his wings. Clarence is shown parts of George's past in order for Clarence to understand him better.

In the first flashback some children are sledding down a snowy hill in snow shovels, each trying to get further along the ice patch at the bottom than the one before. George, 9 at the time, rescues his younger brother, Harry, when he falls through the ice. George becomes ill from the freezing water and loses his hearing in one ear a few weeks later.

Four years later,George is now 13 and is working at the pharmacy that is run by Mr. Gower. Mary tells him she loves him, but makes sure to say it in his bad ear, so he can't hear her. George talks of traveling the world, his want in life. Mr. Gower is in back making pills, but has obviously tried to drink his sorrows away. George finds a note that says Mr. Gower's son had died and then stops him from unknowingly giving poison pills to a sick family.

George, now a grown man, is getting ready to leave for college. He had helped work at his father's business for a few years, only long enough to make some money for college. More than anything else, his dream was still to leave this city and travel the world. He is invited

Mr. Potter, the owner of the bank, had bought out most of the town, but had always been defeated when trying to acquire the Baily Loan Company. After 4 years, Harry came back a married man. World War 2 starts, and Harry enlists. George is rejected because of his bad ear, and has to once again manage Bailey bank & loans. The Bailey company barely manages to squeak by the depression. Harry comes home a hero after the war. George marries Mary and they have four kids, two boys and two girls.

The reason for George's crisis occurs when forgetful "Uncle Billy", George's uncle who had been helping him run the company from the start, accidentally gives $8,000 to Mr. Potter as he was bragging that they had made it through the year, and that Mr. Potter had not gotten their company. George, very distressed and now starting to lose it, goes and gets drunk at the local bar. He then plans on jumping off a bridge, but Clarance the angel comes down and jumps before him. As Clarence expected, George jumped in and saved him. Clarence tried to tell George how important he was, but George refused to listen, so finally Clarence showed him what Bedford Falls would be like if George had never been born.

The first thing George noticed was that everyone in town was a good deal more angry, rude, and inhospitable. The "Bedford Falls" sign now read "Pottersville", for Mr. Potter owned the enitire town. Everyone now lived in run-down old houses, for the trusting and friendly Bailey bank & loans had died with his father. The city became ran-down, with a Gamorah-ish twist. Mary became a bitter old maid, and his mother had to start a boarding house just to make ends meet. Harry died when he fell into the ice, and so did the transport vessels he saved in the war. Mr. Gower became a drunkard after he was released from prison for poisoning an entire family who had the flu. George became distraught and asks Clarence to take him back.

George, his mood much lighter, ran home and hugged his children. A banker and a lawyer were their, wanting the $8,000. Mary said she had a surprise for him. Just about the entire town came in and donated money to pay the bank. Well over what was needed was raised, as the townspeople showed their gratitude to their good friend, George Bailey. George looked down and saw "Tom Sawyer", the book Clarence had been reading. Inside was a note reminding him just how precious life is. A bell rang on the Bailey Christmas tree, signifying Clarence's earning of his wings.

This movie was a great example of just how valuable the gift of life is, and how large of an impact even one person can have on the life of so many others.

Source of Narrative: http://www.travelin-tigers.com/zhs/rptwondl.htm

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What if you were never been born? What would your family become or your local community looked like?

What if the Child in the manger was never been born on this earth? What would this world become?

12/28/2010

Where's The Line To See Jesus?



"If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for me."

12/20/2010

"You're good... I'm good too!"

By The Windchime

A friend of mine in Facebook posted in her status a message that caught my attention and caused me to take a brief contemplation about it. Her status message, which I believe is a quote from an author, read as follows:

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

The act of comparing ourselves with others is as natural as our instincts. No matter how we intend not to do it, yet our subconscious mind seems to do it on its own. Take for instance in a formal community gathering, people of different social class will tend not to mix together but rather they tend more to instinctively group according to their social status in the community.

Taken with a negative mindset, comparing one's self with others could of course result into something bad. If one thinks of himself/herself as inferior to others, then subconsciously he/she will feel insecure of himself/herself and as a result he/she will tend to avoid others. Or, if one believes he/she is better than anyone else, then he/she will project an attitude of superiority towards others and as a result he/she will tend to look down on others.

If the process of comparing stops at only finding who is better or who is worse, then comparison becomes a bad thing. To the person with an arrogance complex, it can become a tool for false self-confidence. To the person with an inferiority complex, it is a self-destructive defense mechanism for mediocrity.

But in comparing one's self to others, not everything there is can be negative. Comparison can also be a good tool for self-improvement. To be able to use it for good requires, first and foremost, that one recognizes and understands that in the eyes of God all human beings are created equal -- stripped of all the adornments of materialism, we all are dust and unto dust we all shall return. Secondly, one must realize that no matter what level or status you may be at in life, always there are people who are higher than you as well as people who are lower than you.

In a healthy comparison of yourself with others, you do not only look for what's better and what's not better in the qualities between you and the person you compare yourself with, but also you assess both of your qualities based on God's standard. Bear in mind that the rewards in the life hereafter are not based on who you are in this temporal life or on what have you achieved for yourself. The greatest human equalizer is in knowing "whose we are", and the greatest achievement there can be is in serving God and our fellowmen according to the divine standards.

Therefore, let's not be afraid to compare ourselves, but comparing using God's standard that we may improve ourselves and we may "outdo" one another in the giving of genuine godly love as the Lord Jesus did.

Have a blessed and joyful Christmas one and all.

12/18/2010

Did you know that the Son will deliver you?



Mary, Did You Know?

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know,
that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered,
will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know,
that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby,
you've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know,
that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding, is the great I AM.

12/04/2010

Detachment: The Key To Joy



"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)

This verse is neither a romanticizing of economic poverty nor a demonization of wealth, but rather a formula for detachment.

Here I suggest a somewhat variant rendition of the verse: "How blessed are you if you are not attached to material things -- if you have not placed the goods that wealth can buy at the center of your concern."

When the kingdom of God is your ultimate concern, not only will you not be addicted to material things, you will in fact be able to use them with great effectiveness for God's purposes.

-- Fr. Barron

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This short clip is a preview from episode two called "Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus". Fr. Barron talks about the key to joy by putting the beatitudes into terms we can understand clearly today.

The filming of Episode Two took Fr. Barron from the Mt. of Beatitudes in the Holy Land to Poland, New York, Madrid, and - in this particular preview - to the Cove Alliance orphanage near Kampala, Uganda.

For more info visit: WordOnFire

12/03/2010

The Cookies



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Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore don't be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

It's not yet too late, you still have the opportunity to do the right thing. Therefore waste it not before it is gone. Be not afraid to do the right thing even if it will mean you have to endure some hardship. The Lord is a just God and He knows everything, even the most deeply hidden secrets that brought about injustice. If you are willing to entrust your life in His hands, He will use your situation (in a way no one would think is possible) to right that which is wrong so that what is right in His eyes might remain right throughout time.

If you will humble yourself and be honest before the Lord, He shall set before you an armor -- but you need to put it on. Trust in His justice and mercy and you shall not be without recourse; for your battle is not against people, but against the spirit that is holding your own soul in spiritual captivity.