A Gracious Act Changed a Young Person’s Life.

A young man comes up to a Rabbi at a wedding and introduces himself and the Rabbi replies, “Ah you were my student in the third grade. Haven’t seen you for a long time. What’s happened to you? What are you doing now?”

“Well, I am a teacher just like you.” the student replied.

“What inspired you to become a teacher?” the Rabbi enquired

“It was you.” The student replied.

“How did I inspire you to become a teacher?” the Rabbi asked.

“I saw what an impact you had on me, and I realized what an impact I could have on children, so I decided to go into education,” the student replied

“What impact did I have on you?” the Rabbi asked.

“You remember.” the student replied.

 “Remember what?” the Rabbi asked.

“I stole a watch in the class and another student reported that to you. You then asked the class, that, whoever took the watch, to give it back. No one responded. Then you locked door and asked everyone to stand against the wall and to close their eyes and went on to search each chap’s pocket. You found the watch in my pocket, took it out and continued to the end of the line. When we opened our eyes, you gave the watch to the rightful owner and said nothing more. When I thought of how you saved my dignity that day instead of embarrassing me in front of the whole class as a thief, as a liar, as a no gooder, as a despicable child,  you said nothing. You saved my soul, you saved my dignity. You did not mention this to anybody else, not to the owner but not even to me. Not once. It happened, it was over, I understood the message, and when I looked at that I said, this is what a teacher is, this is what a real educator is, this is what I want to be. Therefore, I went into education.” The student explained.

“Amazing.” the Rabbi responded.

‘But Rabbi, don’t you remember the story, when you see me and hear my name. When I stole the watch and what I did and what you did. You did not want to embarrass me with everyone’s eyes closed.” The student asked

“I would not know, I would not know who took the watch,” the rabbi said

“Why not, it is a pretty dramatic story,” the student said.

The Rabbi responded, “because I also closed my eyes.”

A Few Jokes To Smile About…

A Few Jokes To Smile About.

Three ‘one liners’.

• Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation toward the local swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.

• The man who invented knock-knock jokes should get a no bell prize.

• The man who survived both mustard gas and pepper spray is a seasoned veteran now.

Golfer:  “You must be the world's worst caddy!”
Caddy:  “No, that would be too much of a coincidence.”

I told my boss that three companies were after me and I need a raise.
My boss asked, "What companies?"
I replied, "Gas, water, and electricity."

Aboard an airline flight from Australia to America, Grandma Alice was taking her very first flight.
They had only been aloft a few minutes when the old lady complained to the stewardess that her ears were popping.
The girl smiled and gave the older woman some chewing gum, assuring her that many people experienced the same discomfort. When they landed in LA, Grandma thanked the stewardess. “The chewing gum worked fine,” she said. “Now that we've arrived, would you tell me, how do I get it out of my ears?”

“Daring to Dance with God”

JEFF Walling in his book says: “And what is it like to dance with God?  Dancing with God is allowing Him to take our breath away as He whirls us through the dark and light places that life leads us. It is relaxing into His embrace and trusting fully in His strong arms.  It is releasing the power of the Spirit within us to give us joy beyond measure.  It is revelling in the unexpected and celebrating the divine surprise that is each new day.  It is rejoicing out loud at the grace and beauty God provides and ignoring the calls of the crowd to sit down and quit grinning.  But above all else, dancing with God is learning to let go.” 

What do we need to let go of?

Let go of guilt – Guilt has an important function- to alert us when we have ‘missed the mark’, when we have hurt someone, when we have been untrue to ourselves….

But guilt is not meant to be a permanent condition…let guilt do its role and then…let go of guilt!

Let go of resentment - resentment is like eating something that really disagrees with you and just can’t digest!  But how to let go?  It’s almost like removing a thorn stuck in our flesh, we have to consider it; where it came from, what it is doing to us and how do we get rid of it.

Let go of anger – The bible tells us “be angry but sin not”. That is not easy. When we are really angry, we actually don’t care if we are sinning.  It’s like an exploding volcano! However, anger has a function. Again, inner dialogue can be helpful…we can ask ourselves “Why am I so angry?”   Perhaps our anger is alerting ourselves to something that needs to stop, or to be put right. Perhaps it is a wound from the past that has been prodded. Perhaps it is biological- a physical issue expressing itself in anger.

In essence, let these negative emotions, events, hurts, disappointments be recognized and then released so that we can be free to Dance with God….

Regret

What does the word ‘regret’ mean?  The dictionary description is: “feel or express sorrow or repentance or distress over….” an action done, not done, words said/unsaid…etc. Regret can be a healthy sign; we have feelings, a conscience, an ability to reconsider our words and actions…

However, regret can be a sharp ‘heart’ pain causing us to sink into a dark place…”Why, why did I do/say that?”

King David was so besotted when he saw the naked Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop that he was enticed into committing adultery with her and when she found she was pregnant…with her husband far away fighting in King David’s army, David issued a command that he be killed ‘in battle’, and then he married Bathsheba. Can you imagine his regret, his self-loathing?

I wonder if Hitler ever had regrets... or did he like others, and even ourselves, find ways to ‘drown our consciences’ or justify our actions like a phrase I heard, “the devil made me do it?”   

Regret is a painful emotion. We all have regrets. Regret over wrong decisions, regret over hurtful words spoken in anger, regret over actions that were not good or kind. We all have regrets, with the exception of psychopaths, a condition where this essential ‘commodity’ is lacking. However, what would you and I be like if our conscience was not alive and well, causing us to regret and hopefully put right the wrongs we have done, if that was possible, or to be so deeply remorseful that we avoid that pitfall in the future. Learning something from our mistakes.

So, do we wallow in our regrets for the rest of our lives? Beating ourselves up constantly or do we learn from our mistakes?  Do we fall into the same ‘manhole’ every day, or do we take another route?

Can I suggest a few positive actions in dealing with guilt and Regret?                                             

Firstly, we need to stop “self-justifying” or blaming others and circumstances. We have been given the freedom of choice but also the responsibility of our actions. No person can be blamed for the wrong actions we do, yes, the role of others can be acknowledged, but our actions are our responsibility.

Secondly, we need to stop beating ourselves up, “all have sinned and fall short...” The problem lies in our not learning from our mistakes, repeating them again and again. It lies in our self-deception, in our laziness – we do not take time to face our ‘demons’ and deal with them. No human being is without these challenges, they just take different forms. Some are blatant, glaring, others are hidden but equally damaging.

Someone said, “Confession is good for the soul”, and this is true, however, we need to start by breaking through the self-deception and acknowledging our wrong doings to ourselves. This is the most important step. Then to compassionately ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this?”  I firmly believe that each ‘misbehaviour’ has a root cause, and we need to have the courage to uncover that root, and, to ‘root it out’. Each successful ‘self-therapy’ will lighten our load and make us better people. There are times, however, that we might need the help of someone else on this journey and may we be guided to the right person. Regret is a necessary emotion, and it is painful, but it can lead us into peace and a better way of being. In the Lord’s prayer we ask “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who hae sinned against us”

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

When Florence was sixteen years old her life was changed. God spoke to her and told her that she had a task that He wanted her to do. Whatever anyone would think of such an event, it was real to Florence. She now knew that her life had a purpose, and that whatever would happen would be in God's will and timing.

In a letter Florence wrote 'We have four miles of beds eighteen inches apart'. The situation was desperate and eventually the male army doctors gave a free hand to organize the hospital and she did. She changed the wards, the kitchens, and the bedding. She provided clean clothes for the soldiers, and even arranged for one derelict wing of the hospital to be rebuilt. It was during this time that Florence gained the nickname 'The Lady of the Lamp' because she was continually checking all parts of the hospital day and night and at night, she needed the lamp. In 1855 Queen Victoria wrote to Florence to thank her for all that she had done

Florence met Queen Victoria, and this resulted in a Royal Commission being set up under Sidney Herbert to make recommendations on hospital procedures and Florence did most of the work! Much of the report was implemented. Florence then set up the Nightingale school of Nursing in 1860. She produced a number of books on nursing.

In 1907 Florence Nightingale, now blind, received the Order of Merit award. In 1910 at the age of ninety she died, having completed all that God had requested from her in this world and was present with Him in the next.

Each one of us has a life-purpose. We are not all called to be the same, we are unique, and our purpose is unique. Some life-purposes are outstanding and make the historic records, others are seemingly mundane, yet have a positive impact. Let us take some time to reflect on whether we are fulfilling our purpose here on earth.

ENHANCE YOUR LIFE

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry.

Too noble for anger,

Too strong for fear

And too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Christian D. Larson

The Transformative Power of Forgiveness

Over the years in ministry, I have discovered that everyone is wounded and everyone wounds. We all need forgiveness, and we all need to forgive. We hurt others and have been hurt.

Some feel so bad that they can’t believe that God can forgive them. 

Likewise, when we have been hurt our first instinct is to retaliate, which makes the situation worse. The only real power you have over someone who hurts you is the power of forgiveness. So, for your own sake forgive them and move on. As someone said, “To err is human, to forgive is divine’. Yes, it is difficult, but trust in the Lord and He will give you the grace to forgive.

The truth here is when you accept that God has forgiven you of your past, you are empowered to forgive others who have hurt you.

Let me illustrate this in a situation I had in my ministry years ago. A young couple came to ask me to officiate at their marriage. During the interviews I realized that the young lady was struggling with her past life. She asked for help, and I had a few counselling sessions with her. She recounted that in her early life she was an only child. Her mother was physically handicapped. Her father was an alcoholic who would return home in the evening after work, intoxicated, and in a foul mood, he would take out his frustrations on her. Out of fear for him she would hide. He would verbally and physically abuse her. Then one day he deserted the family and never returned. Shortly afterwards her mother passed away. Child Welfare stepped in and placed her with family who unfortunately further abused her, so that by the age of 16 she ran away.  At 18 years of age, she met Peter a loving young man of 23 who took her under his wing and loved her unconditionally. However, she admitted that her past hounded her, she needed to let go of her bitterness and hatred towards her family. After much reflection she accepted the forgiveness of God and was able to forgive her family, and especially her father.

About 6 months after her wedding, she came and told me she wanted to find her father and to tell him personally she had forgiven him. It took some searching, but after many false alarms she eventually found him in a very poor condition. She immediately took him into her home where she nursed him. After a few weeks of love and care, he asked her why she had searched for him, after his abusive behaviour towards her and her mother.  Her answer was brief. “I wanted to find you to forgive you for what you did to me.” “Why, what made you do that?” he asked. She replied, “God has forgiven me for my wrongdoing, and I wanted to forgive you”. With that he broke down and they wept together. He then confessed that he left home because he realized what he was doing to her and feared that he would kill her in one of his drunken states’.

In the power of receiving God’s forgiveness, she was able to forgive her father!

Forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion. If you wait until you feel like forgiving, you risk remaining trapped in the torture of resentment.

Forgiveness happens when you can view the offender with compassion.

The love of God gives us the possibility of the newness of life that forgiving and being forgiving brings.

A Few Jokes To Smile About…

Today’s Jokes

• Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman: “And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?”  the reporter asked. 
  She simply replied, “No peer pressure.”

• Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus body to put in his family grave. 
  Pilate was astounded, “You’ve spent a fortune on that grave. Why give it to Jesus.” 
  Joseph replied, “It’s only for three days.”

 h! the English language!

• I had a vasectomy because I didn't want any kids. When I got home, they were still there.

• I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.

• Two Wi-Fi engineers got married. The reception was fantastic.

Inconsolable Longing

Introduction:  Some years ago, a man made a significant statement after he had won the world title in body building. He said that he had money and fame – he was on the top, the pinnacle of his career, but it did not satisfy a hunger in his heart.

St Augustine said, “Our souls are restless until we find our rest in Thee”. An inconsolable longing in us…..

• A longing that money cannot satisfy… how much? - --just a little more, never enough.

• A longing that fame cannot satisfy... famous, rich people committing suicide e.g. Marilyn Monroe died of an overdose of barbiturates. She was only 36 years old!

• A longing that pleasure-seeking cannot appease, similar to the law of diminishing returns (“law of diminishing returns ‘any rate of profit, production, benefits, etc., that beyond a certain point fails to increase proportionately with added investment, effort, or skill.”)

• A longing that human companionship and love cannot appease… (my wife/husband /children/friends don’t always understand me, even though they love me)

In every human being, whether we are aware of it or not, there is a deep longing, an inconsolable longing and this has been there since the beginning of time.

I would like to explore, with you, this deep longing, this yearning in two ways; Inconsolable longing in history and an awareness of our own personal journey.

THE JOURNEY OF HUMANKIND: We have moved through various stages; one author defined them as - The magical stage, the materialistic stage, and the mystical stage.

In the magical stage people were aware that there was a powerful spiritual force and because they had no knowledge or insight they feared this ‘force’ and this gave rise to many taboos, rituals and sacrifices, for example, In Mexico before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the Aztecs offered human sacrifices to the sun god, a practice that took as many as 20,000 lives a year (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopaedia, vol 23, p 60). An awareness of God but did not know him and therefore feared Him.

The magical stage gave way to the materialistic stage where people rejected anything that they could not prove. This was tragically emphasized by the astronaut who claimed that he had been out in space and saw no sign of God. The materialistic view -I cannot see or prove it, therefore, it does not exist. We are still emerging from this stage at present and, to a certain degree, we are still locked into this belief.

The mystical stage has emerged because the hunger for transcendence has been suppressed. There is a deep, and often not acknowledged, hunger for meaning, and meaningful contact with our Creator. Our spirits are rebelling against the lack of recognition and acknowledgement of our souls. Out of this hunger various spiritual practices have emerged; some have led to authentic, deep and life-enriching belief systems; however, many have been seduced into harmful teachings and practices.

What are you and I longing for in the depth of our being?

Living Positively

(Meditate on these and, if appropriate, incorporate them into your daily living)

• Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
  “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

• Be realistic about life’s ups and downs but choose to focus on the positive aspects of your life.

• Be positive and stimulating in your conversation with every person you meet.

• Choose to see the good in all people, without being blind to their faults. Help them to know that they have worth.

• Train yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.  “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”

• “Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.   Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Aim for excellence; think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

• Be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

• Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..” Philippians 3:13

• Infect others with joy; give every living creature you meet a smile.
  “…the joy of the Lord is your strength”    Nehemiah 8:10

• Concentrate on the improvement of yourself so that you have no time to criticize others.

• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

(Christian D. Larsen, adapted by Marge Stathakis)

When Death Suddenly Comes

(An article given to me by a dear lady who wished to remain anonymous)

After celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on the 11th November, 1991, my husband and I rejoiced at God’s goodness to us and our three married children and their children, all of whom love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Six months after this happy event we were asked to stay at our daughter’s home for a couple of weeks while they were away on holiday. We moved in on Friday and early on Saturday morning the family left for their holiday.

That day we had two young great-grandchildren with us, and they enjoyed a day of fun with us. After they had gone home my husband remarked how he enjoyed walking around the garden with each child having a walk on grandpa’s’ shoulders.

When we eventually retired for the night, my husband complained that he could not go to sleep, and this continued till approximately 12.30 am when he asked for a Disprin which he thought might help.

In the meantime, a terrific South African ‘Highveld’ electric storm was building up with howling winds and breaking branches off trees and heavy rain. All of a sudden, I heard my husband gasp and then the terrible ‘death rattle’.

During those moments I actually heard the Lord’s voice say to me, “Do you remember Elijah and the chariot of fire and the whirlwind- the angels of the Lord have come to take God’s servant home.”

This, to me, was more that a Divine revelation – it has been a spiritual blessing through the years that God is love and is always with us.

The parting from a life partner is a most painful experience – it feels as though one has been ‘cut in half’ but faith in the knowledge of Jesus’ resurrection and the ministry of the Holy Spirit lifts the burden and gives inner peace.

The Gift of Listening

“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”
Proverbs 18:13

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 my 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 do something to solve my problem..
You have failed me, strange as that might seem.

Listen! All I asked, was that you listen, not to talk or do, just hear me.
Advice is cheap – everyone is willing to give me that.
And I can do things for myself. I’m 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 stop trying to convince you
And get on with trying to understand what is behind this irrational feeling.
And when I can understand that, the answers are obvious,
and I don’t need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when we can explore them and 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.

Its Never Too Late to Start Over

The resurrection of Jesus promises that things can always be new again.
 
That means it’s never too late to start over. Nothing is irrevocable. No betrayal is final. No sin is unforgivable. Every form of death can be overcome. There isn’t any loss that can’t be redeemed. Every day is virgin.
 
In the resurrection we are assured that there are no doors that are eternally closed, every time we close a door, or one is closed on us, God opens another for us. The resurrection assures us that God never gives up on us, even if we give up on ourselves, that God writes straight with the crooked lines of our lives, that we can forever re-virginize, regain lost innocence, become post-sophisticated, and move beyond bitterness. In a scheme of things where Jesus breathes out forgiveness on those who betray him and God raises dead bodies from the dead, we can begin to believe that in the end all will be well and every manner of being will be well and everything, including our own lives, will eventually end sunny side up.
 
However, the challenge of living this out is not just that of believing that Jesus rose physically from the grave, but also, and perhaps even more importantly, to believe that – no matter our age, mistakes, betrayals, wounds, and deaths – we can begin each day afresh, virgin, innocent again, a child, a moral infant, stunned at the newness of it all. No matter what we’ve done, our future is forever pregnant with wonderful new possibility. Resurrection is not just a question of one day, after death, rising from the dead, but it is also about daily rising from the many mini-graves within which we so often find ourselves…                                                                     Ron Rolheiser 

Jesus reassures us in 1:John 11:25-26
I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? 

3 Jokes…

• When I moved into my new igloo my friends threw me a surprise house-warming party. Now I'm homeless.

• Before crowbars were invented most crows drank at home by themselves.

•  From a passenger ship one can see a bearded man on a small island who is shouting and desperately waving is hands.
  “Who is it?” a passenger asks the captain.
  “I have no idea. Every year when we pass, he goes mad like that.”  

Discovering Who You Are…

Searching questions that reveal your character:                                                   

1. Who are your hero’s?

2. What are the important things to know about somebody else?

3. If you could write your own epitaph, what would it be?

4. If your last words were to be remembered, what would they be?

5. What is the quality of your anger? Your tears? Your loneliness?

6. What is the quality of your moral indignation?    

7. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

8. What are the hungers of your heart?

9. What is it you rather die than do?

10. What are your incentives for living?

11. What is your favourite text in the bible? Or quote from a book?

12. What do you personify? What have you become?

Remember the  song “Getting to know you, getting to like you..”? I hope that these questions help us to understand, accept and love ourselves.

Positively Conquering Negatives

Lord, don’t ever let me be too busy to LOVE…

My child comes running in for praise because he’s just learnt to stand on his head. 

Yes, I’m trying to meet a deadline, but don’t let me chase him away.

Don’t let me be too busy to love, Lord..

A neighbour who has just had a fight with her husband and needs a shoulder to cry on. 

I have visitors coming and I’m running late, but don’t let me be too busy to listen and, in this way, to love.

Lord, don’t let me be too busy to love…

My son who has come home from Varsity unexpectedly with a friend, who has nowhere to go – both starving! 

Don’t let me be too busy to show him how thrilled I am he’s home, and that he knows he has the freedom to bring a friend.

Don’t let me be too busy to love, Lord…

When my spouse is tired or discouraged, or excited about something that happened during the day, or simply wants my attention. 

Don’t let me be too pre-occupied with my own work frustrations, peaks and valleys, to be attentive. Don’t let me be too busy to love and listen.

And now, Lord, thank you for giving me so many people, so many opportunities to love. But please forgive me when I fail them; help them to forgive me, and me to forgive myself. You made me human and there is only so much of me to go around.

Coping Well With Conflict

CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE IN ANY RELATIONSHIP.

We have different personalities, needs that may clash, issues that are sensitive etc. It is often felt that conflict is a destructive element in a relationship. In some cases, it is, but when it is handled constructively it leads to growth and greater fulfilment in the relationship.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT

1. Do not withdraw unless you need ‘time out’ to gather your thoughts. Explain that you need to have some space and will re-engage. Note that this is not avoidance behaviour.

2. Identify issues. “What are we fighting about?” If there are more than one, deal with them one at a time.

3. Don’t ‘bottle-up’ emotions. Feelings need to be expressed. Try to share them as they arise but keep them neutral eg “I am feeling very frustrated at the moment”, rather than “You are making me very frustrated.”

4. Stay on the subject don’t bring in other issues. Don’t raise old arguments. Attack the problem not each other. Don’t focus solely on the negatives.

5. Be determined to approach the discussion with a clear desire to find a    solution despite the negative emotions that you may be experiencing.

6. To be constructive we must refrain from focussing solely on the negatives.

7. Avoid name calling or categorizing e.g. ‘you have always been a liar’

8. Back up what you are saying with fact. Don’t be vague.

9. Discuss all possible solutions, looking at the pro’s and con’s together and choose one solution to try.

   APPLY FORGIVENESS. “To err is human, to forgive, Divine”.

Stepmother

This poem was written by the eldest of three sisters and read it was read at their

stepmother’s 75 th birthday. The three girls were 3,7 and 12 when their father remarried.

Their future stepmother was only nineteen years old at the time.

Perhaps a poem of encouragement to stepmothers?

Three little girls without a mother

All taking care of one another;

Along came Father, totally smitten;

Says “This is Shirley, my new sex kitten.”

A wicked stepmother? No! we cried

But Dad was determined to make her his bride.

What lay ahead for us? Who could tell?

Like Hansel and Gretel, our lives would be hell!

But Oh! Our dear friends, how wrong we were.

Our lives were far richer for having her.

Loving and caring, she feathered our nest

So today we can say “Thanks Ma, you’re the best.”

(Given to me by a friend, now deceased. Author unknown)

Does Evil Exist?

Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything? The professor asked.

"Yes sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colours and study the various wavelengths of each colour. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name — Albert Einstein.

2 Jokes…

I hired a handy man and gave him a list. When I got home, only items #1, 3, and 5 were done.
 Turns out, he only does odd jobs.

My grandad always said “as one door closes, another one opens.” Lovely man, terrible cabinet maker.