Two Stories with Historic Link

What Goes around comes around♻

Both of them are True.

Here's the First one: Maxwell Morrison was well and truly screwed. He was standing in a courtroom in Bangkok, waiting for his sentence. The offense was drug trafficking, and if found guilty, the sentence would be life in one of the most horrific prisons in the world. The problem was that Maxwell was innocent. The drugs had been found stashed in a musical instrument he had agreed to carry through the checkpoint for a woman who had appeared to have her hands full with a baby, two young children and a whole lot of hand luggage.

Of course, the moment the sniffer dogs singled him out for special attention, the woman and her children evaporated into thin air. He had tried to explain this to the judge in his super-fast-track case, which had so far lasted less than 45 minutes, but the prosecution had countered by pointing out that it would take a very stupid person indeed to be suckered into carrying anything through a security checkpoint for a stranger - especially in this modern post-9/11 world.

They had also pointed out that back home in Nottingham, Maxwell was a police officer. A security expert, who could never be as naïve as he was now pretending to be. Maxwell's only counter-argument to that had been, "Appearances can be deceptive".

The Judge had given him the strangest look when he said that. No, things were certainly not going well for him in this case. His only witness had been a British passenger who had seemed a bit drunk during her testimony. She admitted she had seen the woman hand the instrument to Maxwell, but added that they appeared to be travelling together. Again, Maxwell's defence was, "Appearances can be deceptive".

He remembered with irony the first time he had actually heard the expression "Appearances can be deceptive". It was in the eighties. He was a teenager going through a punk rock phase. He wore nothing but black, had multiple body piercings and was always playing with a scary-looking flip-knife. All the kids in school were afraid of him and steered well clear. One afternoon when he was enjoying some peace and quiet behind the boat shed, listening to 'Grateful Dead' on his walkman, he heard a commotion. Three kids were bullying a foreign student. They were about to throw the little kid into the river, and the poor boy kept crying, "Please! Please, I can't swim!"

Maxwell intervened. At first, the three bullies wanted to fight it out, but Maxwell was a good three inches taller than the tallest of them. Plus, he had his knife, and he made them believe he was happy to use it. So they dropped the little foreign boy and went off to find a new victim. Maxwell asked the relieved kid if he was alright. The boy adjusted his glasses, looked at Maxwell for a long moment and said, "Appearances can be deceptive". "Why do you say that?" Maxwell asked. "Well, everybody thinks you're scary. Some kids even said you stabbed a teacher once. You're the last person I'd have expected to come to my aid. But thank you for doing so. I would have drowned if you hadn't. In Thailand where I come from, you owe the person who saves your life an eternal debt which you spend the rest of your life paying back. My name is Tran Pack, and I will never forget what you did for me."

With that, he shook Maxwell's hand and ran off.

Back in the Bangkok courtroom, Maxwell allowed himself a wry smile as he recalled that childhood episode. Thirty years after he saved a Thai kid's life, he was now a 45-year old policeman, about to spend the rest of his own life in a Thai prison, all because appearances can be deceptive. He snapped out of his reflections as the judge banged his gavel three times. It was time for the verdict. And that's where I'll end the first story...

Here's the Second story. Judge Tran Pack could not believe his eyes when Maxwell Morrison walked into his courtroom. Thirty two years had not done much to change his appearance, so Tran recognised him at once. He listened patiently for 45 minutes and then banged his gavel three times before giving the verdict. "Mr Morrison, appearances can indeed be deceptive. Not guilty. You're free to go." And that is the end of the second story...

My people, I know I don't need to say much more about the lessons from these two stories. As you live your lives, please take every opportunity to do something unforgettable for someone who can't pay you back today. They'll pay you back tomorrow with interest.

Kindness is not a debt you pay, but it is a seed you sow for future.

Using Telephone in Darkness

FORWARDED AS RECEIVED!!

My younger brother Dr Justice Arthur, who's a medical officer at Cape Coast hospital ( Bakkano) appealed to me to share this post with you. He says its very important.

Pls do not ignore or delay reading this:

When lights are off at night, one must not view the hand phone! (Smartphone)

Please share with family friends URGENTLY.....

Habitually using hand phones before bedtime in the dark can lead to serious problems.

Recently, an increasing number of 30-40 year-old patients are seeking medical attention due to using hand phones in the dark.

Professor Li Li, director of the Hospital of Ophthalmology SGH Singapore, said: direct glare of >30 minutes would cause irreversible eye macular degeneration that leads to rapid deterioration of vision.

Contracting maculopathy (eye cancer) means waiting for loss of sight because modern medicine cannot treat, let alone cure it.
The bright phone in the dark with close-up view high-energy directed at the eyes will damage the macula of the eye.

Professor Li Li said that symptoms of macular degeneration is mostly experienced by old people, but lately patients are getting younger. Patients who are 30-40 years of age increased by 3 %, most are frequent users of hand phones.

However, viewing the hand phone in the dark not only causes macular degeneration. It initially causes dry eyes, cataracts and eventually loss of sight.

Early lesions of the eye have to be treated with laser or injection of steroids.

254 Hospital eye specialist Professor Li Li suggested that the most important thing is to get rid of the bad habit of using hand phones in the dark. Because habitual use of hand phones in thr dark b4 bedtime may cause a lifetime of harm.

Friends : In order to look after ourselves and our families, remember not to turn off the lights if viewing the hand phone. Inform hand phone users urgently that viewing hand phones in the dark can easily lead to loss of sight!

Sharing is caring..

ONIONS: Important Information

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. ..sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

This is the other note.

Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions ABSORB BACTERIA is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we should NOT eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS
when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). If you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

PLEASE REMEMBER IT IS DANGEROUS TO CUT AN ONION AND TRY TO SAVE IT TO COOK WITH THE NEXT DAY, IT BECOMES HIGHLY POISONOUSFOR EVEN A SINGLE NIGHT - AS IT CREATES TOXIC BACTERIA WHICH CAUSES ADVERSE STOMACH INFECTIONS BECAUSE OF EXCESS BILE SECRETIONS AND EVEN FOOD POISONING.

Please pass this to all the people whom you love and care about.

The Stranger

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the  beginning, Dad was fascinated with this  enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live  with our family.  The stranger was quickly  accepted and was around from then on. 

As  I grew up, I never questioned his place in my  family. In my young mind, he had a special  niche. My parents were complementary  instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and  Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger... he  was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and  comedies. 
 
If  I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers  about the past, understood the present and even  seemed able to predict the future!  He took  my family to the first major league ball  game.  He made me laugh, and he made me  cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad  didn't seem to mind. 

Sometimes, Mum  would get up quietly while the rest of us were  shushing each other to listen to what he had to  say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace  and quiet. 
(I  wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger  to leave.) 

Dad ruled our household with  certain moral convictions, but the stranger  never felt obligated to honor them.   Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our  home - not from us, our friends or any  visitors  Our long time visitor, however,  got away with four-letter words that burned my  ears and made my dad squirm and my mother  blush.  My Dad didn't permit the liberal  use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to  try it on a regular basis.  He made  cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes  distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex.  His comments were  sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and  generally embarrassing.

I now know that  my early concepts about relationships were  influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after  time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet  he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to  leave. 

More than fifty years have passed  since the stranger moved in with our family. He  has blended right in and is not nearly as  fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you  could walk into my parents' den today, you would  still find him sitting over in his corner,  waiting for someone to listen to him talk and  watch him draw his pictures.   
    

His  name?....

We  just call him 'TV.'

(Note:  This should be required reading for every  household!) 
The embarrassing thing is that in the course of time, he got a family and they are always hanging around at our home.
His wife? We call her  'Computer.'  Their  first child is "Cell Phone".  The
second, "IPod". They even have a wonderful grandchild, a baby genius
fondly called 'Blackberry', or BB for short. She is more popular than  her mom.  Her new baby cousin is " Ipad". There are many other family members called android devices.

This engaging Stranger and his family have taken permanent residence in our house.  They draw our hearts away from our family, teach our kids things we do not approve of, and when they are there, we have no time for productive stuff.

What can we do?

Copied#

Interesting Prayer by Minister Joe Wright

SAME SEX MARRIAGE...
This interesting prayer was given in Kansas, USA, at the opening session of their Senate. It
seems prayer still upsets some people.
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities,
but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says: "Woe to those who call evil good", but that is exactly what we have done.
* We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
* We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
* We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
* We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
* We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
* We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
* We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
* We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
* We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
* We have abused power and called it politics.
* We have embezzled public funds and called it essential expenses.
* We have insitutionalised bribery and called it sweets of office.
* We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
*We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
* We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh GOD, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.
In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls
responding negatively. 
The church is now receiving international requests for copies of
this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
With the LORD'S help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and WHOLEHEARTEDLY become our desire so that we again can be
called "ONE NATION UNDER GOD."

Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world.

Six Important Life Guidelines

1. When you are Alone, Mind your Thoughts.
2. When you are with Friends, Mind your Tongue.
3. When you are Angry, Mind your Temper.
4. When you are with a Group, Mind your Behavior.
5. When you are in Trouble, Mind your Emotions.
6. When God starts blessing you, Mind your Ego.

What is Maturity

I used to think that maturity was about age and physical development, how wrong I was. I have since  found out that age is only but a number, below are 20 definitions of *MATURITY*
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1.... *Maturity* is when you accept other people the way they are and their level of maturity.
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2.... *Maturity* is when you understand that your ideas are not always the best.
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3.... *Maturity* is when you learn to let go even if it pains.
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4... *Maturity* is when you are able to drop expectations from a relationship and give for giving sake.
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5.... *Maturity* is when you understand whatever positive thing you do, you do is for your own peace.
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6... *Maturity* is when you stop proving to the world how intelligent you are.
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7.... *Maturity* is when you stop comparing yourself with others because life is not a competition.
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8.... *Maturity* is when you understand that you cant and shouldn't always get what you want every time.
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9.... *Maturity* is when you are content and satisfied with your life and yet aspiring to be better everyday..
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10.... *Maturity* is when someone hurt you and you understand their attitude and stay clear than trying to hurt them back.
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11.... *Maturity* is when you start thinking of other people and not just yourself.
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12.... *Maturity* is when you know you cant please everyone.
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13.... *Maturity* is when you see things in different perspective far beyond the way they are.
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14.... *Maturity* is when you love more and judge less.
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15.... *Maturity* is responsibility
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16.... *Maturity* is Love
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17.... *Maturity* is the application of wisdom and knowledge in humility..
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18... *Maturity* is when you accept that your accomplishment, failures, destiny, reputations and almost everything about your life depends on God's will and the choices you make and not pointing fingers on others.
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19... *Maturity* is when someone hates you and you still pray for them to succeed.
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20.... *Maturity* is knowing God, serving Him with all that you've got and pursuing His Kingdom no matter what people think or say...