Welcome to Camp Noronto
Inspirational Stories & Statements
LORD PROP US UP.....
Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed,
'Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side.'
After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.
He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this ... I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years, but it's still standing.
But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit so I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on it's leaning side so it wouldn't fall, then I got thinking about how much I was like that old barn.
I've been around a long time. I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.
Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't. So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.''
If you stare right at this barn for a second you will see who helps
us stand straight and tall.
We all need some Propping Up from time to time !
Take my Son
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man and he stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.
The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears and he thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle and every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later and there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeingthe great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings.. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued.
'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.
'I'll give $10 for the painting..' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
'We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The buyer who took the son gets everything!'
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross.
Much like the auctioneer, His message today is:
'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,
WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...
THAT'S LOVE
One day a mother died
And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of her bedroom,
the daughter was struck with
the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn't any more.
No more hugs,
no more lucky moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat,
No more 'just one minute'
Sometimes, what we care about the most goes away.
never to return before we can say good-bye,
Say 'I Love You.'
So while we have it . . it's best we love it . .
And care for it and fix it when it's broken
and take good care of it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage .... and friendships ..
And children with bad report cards;
And dogs with bad hips;
And aging parents and grandparents
We keep them because they are worth it,
Because we cherish them!
Some things we keep --
like a best friend who moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that
make us happy, No matter what..
Life is important,
and so are the people we know
And so, we keep them close!
Thank you very much for
being a special part of MY Life!
Be kinder than necessary,
For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
The Buzzard, The Bat and the Bumblebee
The Buzzard
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 10 feet and is entirely open on top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will remain a prisoner in this cage.
The reason is....
The buzzard always begins its flight with a run of 10 - 12 feet.
Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The Bat
The ordinary bat that flies around at noight, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place.
If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helpessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air.
Then at once, it takes off like a flash.
The Bumblebee
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out.
It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom.
It will seek a way where none exists, util it completely destroys itself.
People
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee.
We struggle about with all of our problems and frustrations, nver realizing that all we have to do is look up!
That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem!
Just look up.
Sorrow looks back,
Worry looks around,
But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply and speak kindly.
The 5 Finger Prayer
This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers, etc. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders in the church and the world. Pray for the president as well as the leaders and administrators in business and industry. These people shape our lives and our nation. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself and by the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
