Hello everyone,

As many of you know I’ve been publishing on MSN for coming up on somewhere around 2 years. I have had well over 18000 views, and wish to thank you all for that.

One thing I had always liked about MSN was that there was no banner ads on my blog, (other then a very small Volvo add which most people never saw on the top of the page). Recently MSN has changed that and began putting up banner ads on our spaces.

I have always held the position that I would leave MSN if they ever started doing that, mainly because I do not support a lot of the banner adds and have been to many blogs aboard where some banner ads are quite disgusting and less then edifying to say the least. My space has always been one where I want people to come to be built up spiritually, and I’m afraid some banner ads are more of a stumbling block then a help.

And so I wish to announce my leaving MSN.

However, I am not leaving the blog world. I encourage you all to drop by my new blog at:

http://isaacscountry.blogspot.com/

I hope to see you there...oh and by the way, I’m starting things off with a great blog called: Conviction

Please be patient with me as I work out the bugs of a new blog.

Thanks,

Isaac

P.S. In the months ahead I will be changing all my old articles over there and organizing them in such a way that you can find them easily.

I have the most huggable, lovable, kissable, cutest, cuddliest little baby brother in the world, and I just thought y’all should know.  

Today in passing I read two stories that I’d like to share with you all, they were written by Rabbi Ahron Hoch, who I’d never heard of, but I thought the stories were worth repeating:

“There once was a farmer who owned a horse. And one day the horse ran away. All the people in the town came to console him because of the loss. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the horse returned to the farm accompanied by 20 other horses. (Apparently he had found some wild horses and made friends!) All the townspeople came to congratulate him: "Now you have a stable full of horses!" "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a good thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the farmer's son was out riding one of the new horses. The horse got wild and threw him off, breaking the son's leg. So all the people in town came to console the farmer because of the accident. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the government declared war and instituted a draft of all able-bodied young men. They came to the town and carted off hundreds of young men, except for the farmer's son who had a broken leg. "Now I know," said the farmer, "that it was a good thing my horse ran away."

So many times in life, we look at things the wrong way. I’m reminded of the song by Kenny Rogers, called “The Greatest”:

Little boy in a baseball hat stands in the field with his ball and bat
Says, "I am the greatest player of them all"
Puts his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up his ball.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,
Swings his bat all the way around
The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls to the ground.
Now the little boy doesn't say a word, picks up his ball he is undeterred.
Says, "I am the greatest that there has ever been"
And he grits his teeth and he tries again.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,
Swings his bat all the way around
The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls to the ground.
He makes no excuses he shows no fear
He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers.
Little boy he adjusts his hat, picks up his ball, stares at his bat
Says "I am the greatest when the game is on the line"
And he gives his all one last time.

And the ball goes up and the moon so bright
Swings his bat with all his might
The world's as still as still can be, the baseball falls
And that's strike three.

Now it's suppertime and his momma calls,
little boy starts home with his bat and ball.
Says, "I am the greatest, that is a fact,
But even I didn't know I could pitch like that!"
Says, "I am the greatest, that is understood,
But even I didn't know I could pitch that good!"

Looking back I think many of us agree that we have had some experiences that were less then desirable, but we now say that it was a good thing for us because we grew from them. So many times the issue is of our attitude, and the perspective, we don’t have the ability to see the whole picture when we were experiencing the situation, but looking back we can see it was for our good.

Let me share another story I heard from this Rabbi:

“I heard from a friend who experienced the following incident. If you've ever ridden a bus in Israel, you know how people enter the bus from the front door and pay the driver, and people exiting the bus do so from the back door. Sometimes the crowd is so great that people will also enter from the back door, and then pass their money up front to pay the driver. Well, this one time the driver decided he wasn't going to allow that. So he announced that whoever had entered from the back door, must now get off the bus and walk around to the front. Everybody complied grumpily, except for one very old man who could barely walk in the first place. Well, the driver stuck to his guns and announced that the bus would not move until this old man came on through the front door. So slowly slowly, one small step at a time, the old man got off the bus and walked around. And all the while, the people on the bus were shouting at the driver for not only his insensitivity to the old man, but for wasting everyone else's time!

Finally, the old man managed to make it up through the front door and pay the driver. And then he turned toward the bus full of angry people and told them: "Please, don't be upset. We should be grateful that my legs still work and I still have the strength to walk. Thank God!!’”

Oh that we all had the right attitude and could say thank you God, when we are in the middle of something that we see as an annoyance, perhaps it is God tugging at our attention, just to see if we have the right attitude.

Which reminds me of poem I read once:

When I Whine

~~~~~~~

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair

I looked at her and sighed and wished I was as fair.

When suddenly she rose to leave,

I saw her hobble down the aisle.

She had one leg and used a crutch

But as she passed, she passed a smile.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine

I have 2 legs, the world is mine.

~~~

I stopped to buy some candy

The lad who sold it had such charm

I talked with him a while, he seemed so very glad

If I were late, it'd do no harm.

And as I left, he said to me,

"I thank you, you've been so kind.

It's nice to talk with folks like you.

You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

~~~

Later while walking down the street,

I saw a child with eyes of blue

He stood and watched the others play

He did not know what to do.

I stopped a moment and then I said,

"Why don't you join the others, dear?"

He looked ahead without a word.

And then I knew, he couldn't hear.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 ears, the world is mine.

~~~

With feet to take me where I'd go.

With eyes to see the sunset's glow.

With ears to hear what I would know.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I've been blessed indeed, The world is mine.

I’m reminded of Peter as he would be walking on the water in Matthew chapter 14:

 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Peter took his eyes off the Lord, and that is when he started to sink. Jesus would rebuke him for doubting, I pray that even when I see the storms around me, and the wind, that I may still hold fast to my faith in Christ. We know that he works all things together for good for those who love him, perhaps we can not see the whole picture right now, but instead of focusing on the wind and the storm, let us instead focus on Christ, and give him glory despite our troubles.

I’ll close now with another poem:

I asked for strength and
God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and
God gave me brawn and brain to work.

I asked for courage and
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love and
God gave me troubled people to help...

My prayers were answered.