Inspiration

When the subject of heaven and hell was broached in conversation one day, Ernest Hemingway politely declined to offer any opinion.

"Excuse me for not answering," he said. "I have friends in both places."

You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.

Irv and Sol, are walking down the street when Sol turns to Irv and says, "Irv, if you had two of those top-of-the-line Mercedes Benz cars, with all the gear, electric windows, CD player and all of that, exactly the same, would you give me one?"

Irv says, "Sol, how long do we go back? Thirty years? We've been best friends since school, and if I had two of those Mercedes, top-of-the-line cars with all the trimmings, exactly the same, yeah, I would give the other one to you."

So, they keep walking. After a couple of minutes, Irv turns to Sol and says, "Sol, if you had two of those luxury, millionaire-type yachts, you know, with all the modern conveniences, and they were exactly the same, would you give one of them to me?"

Sol says, "Irv, you and me are like brothers, you were best man at my wedding, you attended my son's Bar Mitzvah, we have gone to the same shul together for all these years. If I had two of those luxury playboy yachts, exactly the same with all the modern conveniences, then yeah Irv, I really would give the other one to you."

They keep walking. A couple of minutes later, Sol turns to Irv, "Irv, if you had two chickens..."

"Now hold on there! Sol, you KNOW I've got two Chickens!"

Imagine yourself walking along The High street of life and each of the shop fronts has something to entice you in:

The Materialism shop offers you all the creature comforts you could ever want, but they must be returned, left right where they are when you come to the end of the street.

There are many different kinds of relationship shops that you may hop in and out of, but they may also throw you out at a moments notice and each one may leave it’s own individual scar.

Then there are the religious shops which will cause you to appear to have found an element of respectability but will tie you up in knots with the contractual complexities.

And then there is a rather straight and narrow shop and it does not appear to have nearly as many customers as the others, but it keeps all it’s promises and will attend to your every need even though what is on offer remains simple and has never changed with the latest fashions. It will supply all that is required for you to pass on from the High Street of Life to the Road of Eternal life.

Each shop is a voice calling to you. Which will you listen to?

- Neil Winterton(UK)