BRIDGING AT AN EXPENSE

There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.

A switch-man sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switch-man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. 

If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. 

He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and none aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?

THREE BULLETS

Three Bullets

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets.. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it.  

The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.  

The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree..  

As he went further, he saw a large wild 'Tom' turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.  

A voice spoke to him and said, 'Pray first, aim high and stay focused.

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill.  He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, 'I said 'Pray, Aim high and Stay focused..' 

So, the man decided to listen to God's voice. 

He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family. 

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.  

Moral of the story: 

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.  Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, 'the past.'  Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than  you can bear. 

Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. 

Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.

Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed.. 

FROM ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER

Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!!!

MENTALITY

This is a very important concept - The Leveraging. Read the story and you will understand.

The Parable of the Pipeline by Burke Hedges

Once upon a time long, long ago, two ambitious young cousins named Pablo and Bruno lived side by side in a small Italian village.

The young men were best buddies, and big dreamers.

They would talk endlessly about how someday, someway, they would become the richest men in the village. They were both bright and hard working. All they needed was an opportunity.

One day that opportunity arrived. The village decided to hire two men to carry water from a nearby river to a cistern in the town square.

The job went to Pablo and Bruno.

Each man grabbed two buckets and headed to the river. By the end of the day, they had filled the town cistern to the brim. The village elder paid them one penny for each bucket of water.

"This is our dream come true! "shouted Bruno. "I can't believe our good fortune."

But Pablo wasn't so sure.

His back ached and his hands were blistered from carrying the heavy buckets. He dreaded getting up and going to work the next morning. He vowed to think of a better way to get the water from the river to the village.

Pablo The Pipeline Man:

"Bruno, I have a plan," Pablo said the next morning as they grabbed their buckets and headed for the river. "Instead of lugging buckets back and forth for pennies a day, let's build a pipeline from the village to the river."

Bruno stopped dead in his tracks.

 "A pipeline! Whoever heard of such a thing?" Bruno shouted. "We've got a great job, Pablo. I can carry 100 buckets a day. At a penny a bucket that's a dollar a day! I'm rich! By the end of the week, I can buy a new pair of shoes, by the end of the month a cow. By the end of six months I can buy a new hut. We have the best job in town. We have weekends off and two weeks paid vacation every year. We're set for life! Get out of here with your pipeline."

But Pablo was not easily discouraged. He patiently explained the pipeline plan to his best friend. Pablo would work part of the day carrying buckets, and part of the day and weekends building his pipeline.

He knew it would be hard work digging a ditch in the rocky soil.

Because he was paid by the bucket he knew his income would drop. He also knew it might take a year or two before his pipeline would pay off. But Pablo believed in his dream and he went to work.

Bruno and the rest of the villagers began mocking Pablo, calling him "Pablo the Pipeline Man." Bruno, who was earning almost twice the money as Pablo, flaunted his new purchases. He bought a donkey outfitted with a new leather saddle, which he kept parked outside his new two-story hut. He bought flashy clothes and fancy meals at the inn.

The villagers called him Mr. Bruno, and they cheered when he bought rounds at the tavern and laughed loudly at his jokes.

Small Actions Equal Big Results:

While Bruno lay in his hammock on evenings and weekends, Pablo kept digging his pipeline. The first few months Pablo didn't have much to show for his efforts. The work was hard, even harder than Bruno's because Pablo was working evenings and weekends too.

But Pablo kept reminding himself that tomorrow’s dreams are built on today’s sacrifices. Day by day he dug, inch by inch.

Inches turned into one foot............. then ten feet............ then 20............. then 100.

"Short-term pain equals long-term gain," he reminded himself as he stumbled into his hut after another exhausting day's work. "In time my reward will exceed my efforts," he thought. "Keep your eyes on the prize," he kept thinking as he drifted off to sleep with the sounds of laughter from the village tavern in the background.

The Tables Are Turned:

Days turned into months. One day Pablo realized his pipeline was half-way finished, which meant he only had to walk half as far to fill his buckets! Pablo used the extra time to work on his pipeline. During his rest breaks, Pablo watched his old friend Bruno lug buckets. Bruno's shoulders were more stooped than ever. He was hunched in pain, his steps slowed by the daily grind. Bruno was angry and sullen, resenting the fact that he was doomed to carry buckets, day in, day out, for the rest of his life.

He began to spend less time in his hammock and more time in the tavern. When the tavern's patrons saw Bruno coming they'd whisper,

"Here comes Bruno the Bucket Man" and they’d giggle when the town drunk mimicked Bruno's stooped posture and shuffling gait. Bruno didn't buy rounds or tell jokes anymore, preferring to sit alone in a dark corner surrounded by empty bottles.

Finally Pablo's big day arrived, his pipeline was complete! The villagers crowded around as the water gushed from the pipeline into the village cistern! Now that the village had a steady supply of fresh water, people from around the countryside moved into the village and the village prospered.

Once the pipeline was complete, Pablo didn't have to carry buckets anymore. The water flowed whether he worked or not. It flowed while he ate. It flowed while he slept. It flowed on weekends while he played. The more the water flowed into the village, the more money flowed into Pablo's pockets!

Pablo the Pipeline Man became known as Pablo the Miracle Maker.

But Pablo understood what he did wasn't a miracle. It was merely the first stage of a big, big dream. You see, Pablo had bigger plans. Pablo planned on building pipelines all over the world!

Recruiting His Friend To Help:

The pipeline drove "Bruno The Bucket Man" out of business, and it pained Pablo to see his old friend begging for drinks at the tavern.

So, Pablo arranged a meeting with his old friend.

"Bruno, I've come here to ask you for your help."

Bruno straightened his stooped shoulders, and his dark eyes narrowed to

a squint. "Don't mock me," Bruno hissed.

"I haven't come here to gloat," said Pablo. "I've come here to offer you a great business opportunity. It took me more than two years

before my first pipeline was complete. But I've learned a lot during those two years. I know what tools to use now, and where to dig. I know where to lay the pipe. I kept notes as I went along so now I have a system that will allow me to build another pipeline in less time........... then another........... then another. I could build a pipeline a year by myself, but what I plan on doing is teach you how to build a pipeline, then have you teach others and have them teach others.

"Just think, we could make a small percentage of every gallon of water that goes through those pipelines."

Bruno finally saw the big picture. They shook hands and hugged like old friends.

Pipeline Dreams In A Bucket-Carrying World:

Years passed. Their world pipelines were pumping millions of dollars into their bank accounts. Sometimes on their trips through the countryside, Pablo and Bruno would pass villagers from other villages carrying buckets.

The friends would pull over and tell them their story and offer to help them build a pipeline. But sadly, most bucket carriers would hastily dismiss the notion.

"I don't have the time."

"My friend told me he knew a friend who's uncle's best friend tried to build a pipeline and failed."

"Only the ones who get in early make money on a pipeline."

"I've carried buckets my whole life, I'll stick to what I know."

"I know people who lost money in a pipeline scam."

Both men resigned themselves to the fact they lived in a world with a bucket-carrying mentality............. and only a very small percentage of people would ever see the vision.

End of Story

We Live In A Bucket-Carrying World

Who are you? A bucket-carrier............  or a pipeline builder?

Do you get paid only when you show up for work like Bruno the Bucket Carrier?

Or do you do the work once and get paid over and over again like Pablo the Pipeline Builder? If you're like most people, you're working the bucket-carrying plan.

It's the time-for-money-trap.

The problem with bucket carrying is that the money stops when the bucket-carrying stops. Which means the concept of a "secure job" or "dream job" is an illusion. The inherent danger of carrying buckets is that the income is temporary instead of on-going.

If Bruno woke up one morning with a stiff back and couldn't get out of bed, how much money would he earn that day? ZERO! No Work-No

Money!

The same goes for any bucket-carrying job. Once bucket-carriers stop carry buckets for any reason, they won't continue to get a pay check.

Real-Life True Story:

My previous dentist was the best dentist I ever had. A complete professional. Great personality. Great technician. Every visit was virtually pain-free. She loved what she did and set her own hours. She was only open three days a week so she could spend four-day weekends with her family.

She pulled down more than $100,000 a year working three days a week at a job she loved. This was a bucket-carriers dream job if there ever was one!

One problem, before the age of 40 she develpoed arthritis in her hands and couldn't work anymore. Today she teaches at a university earning one-third the income she earned as a dentist.

There's no such thing as a secure bucket-carrying job no matter how great it seems.

The problem with the time-for-money trap is that if you can no longer trade-the-time, you no longer get the money! Most people mistake bucket-carrying for pipeline building. We observe 99% of the people in the world are carrying buckets, so we assume bucket carrying is the way to get what we want in life.

We grow up surronded by bucket-carriers, so we figure that's the way-of-the-world. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw recently:

100,000 lemmings can't be wrong!

People think the same way about bucket-carriers. 100 million bucket-carriers can't be wrong. Well yes they can!. Let's face it. there are a lot more bucket-carriers in this world than pipeline builders.

Why? Because bucket-carrying is the model that our parents followed and the one that they taught us to follow. The bucket-carrying model tells you here's what you do to get ahead:

Go to school and learn how to carry buckets.

Work really hard.

Earn the right to carry bigger buckets. (get promoted) Resign from "Bucket Company A" to work for "Bucket Company B" which lets you carry even bigger buckets.

Work longer hours so you can carry more buckets.

Put the kids through bucket-carrying college.

Try to get promoted from carrying metal buckets....... to carrying plastic buckets............ to carrying digital buckets.

Dream of the day you can retire from bucket carrying after 30-40 years.

Until then, keep carrying those buckets....................... or, the bucket-carriers dream comes true. You hit the big lottery! (the odds are

1 in about 14-15 million against them, but hey most all bucket carriers think it could happen to them, so........... until then, keep carrying those buckets)

What do all those bucket-carriers earn for their efforts? Surprisingly little. According to Parade magazine's "What People Earn" survey, the average worker in America earns $28,500 a year.

Subtract almost 20% for taxes, and that leaves $22,500 take-homepay.

Let's face it, that's not enough for most people to live on.

What do bucket-carriers do when they need more money?

Because they have a bucket-carrying mentality, they come up with a bucket-carrying solution............ if you need more money you've got to carry more buckets!

"i'll get a second job carrying buckets in the evenings and on weekends," Daddy Bucket Carrier decides.

"I can go back to the bucket-carrying job I had before the kids were born," Mommy Bucket Carrier says.

"The kids can get bucket-carrying jobs after school and in the summer," they both say.

The Results

Today North Americans work the longest hours in the world. Yes, even more than the work-obsessed Japanese. Is the earn-more-money-by carrying- more-buckets plan working?

No. Here are the facts.

Consumer debt is at a record high. The average household has 95 cents worth of debt for every dollar earned.

The proportion of women working to support their families more than doubled over the past 20 years.

More people are taking second and third mortgages on their single biggest asset............ their homes............. to pay the bills.

Hello! What's wrong with this picture?

It's the fallacy of carrying bigger buckets. Bucket carriers tell themselves everything would be okay if they could just carry bigger buckets.

Bucket carriers are forever wondering how much money other bucket carriers earn. True, the doctor’s bucket is a lot bigger than the cook's bucket............. about ten times bigger! But that doesn't mean the doctor is financially independent. He's just as dependent on his bucket carrying job as the cook.

Why?

They spend more! Truth is, the doctors and lawyers making sixfigures are spending most of their income to support their lifestyles.

a. The average worker drive a $5,000 used car. The doctor drives a $45,000 Lexus.

b. The average worker sends his kids to free public school. The doctor sends his kids to private school............ and on and on and on.

The doctor spends just as much of a percentage of his income than

all other bucket carriers. All are living paycheck-to paycheck. If you don't believe check the bankruptcy records. You'll see every kind of bucket carrier listed in there!

All Buckets Eventually Dry Up

All buckets dry up no matter how big they are. Pipelines, on the other hand, are self-sustaining. But pipelines require sacrifice.

Pipelines don't build themselves. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to build them.

A Bigger Bucket Won't Solve The Problem. Why?

Carry as big a bucket as you can but build a pipeline on the side, because as long as you carry buckets, you have to show-up to get paid, and no matter how big the bucket is............. it will dry-up.

Many a person has gone from the "Millionaire Next Door" to the

"Bankrupt Person Next Door".

This person had a HUGE bucket and now has nothing!

His name is Darryl Strawberry. Professional baseball player. The 38 year old outfielder broke into the majors as a teenager and was hailed as the next Ted Williams!

Strawberry has made a fortune in his career............. $2-$5 million every year. That was just from his baseball contract! Add a couple million from endorsements, speeches, autographs and more and he's earned $50-$100 million before his 40th birthday!

A guy like that has to be set for life right? WRONG!

According to a local newspaper report, "Strawberry has no income or savings to support his current wife and their three children."

What Happened?

Strawberry bought expensive everything........... including drugs and alcohol. Strawberry didn't build a pipeline............. because he thought he had enough money to last forever no matter what. He can't play baseball anymore because of his drug problem. He won't be allowed to play ever again. He's Broke!

It's Your Turn to Choose

What sounds like the best plan to you? Remember, most of your friends and neighbours won't understand! They've been taught to carry buckets.

Time Levels the Playing Field

It doesn't matter how much money you earn ............ or how little money you earn............ we all have the same amount of time in each day. 24 hours. It doesn't matter if you're a doctor, lawyer, or cook. It only takes time to build a pipeline. Yes you'll need tools................ but those will cost relatively very little. So everyone has an equal opportunity when it comes to building a pipeline!

Timing

Some people put off building their pipelines because "right now isn't a good time for me." Guess what? Right now is a bad time for anybody!

We're all stressed. We're all busy. We're all putting out fires and dealing with unexpected emergencies. There's a word for these bad times.

It's called life!

Some people waste their lives waiting for the "perfect time" to do x, y, or z. Well, they'll die waiting because there's no such thing as a perfect time. If someone told you they'd give you $1 million dollars if you'd sit in a corner and knit for two hours every day for one year, you'd find the time right?

It wouldn't matter if your son broke his arm................... your car wouldn't start....................... the cat got sick. Rather than forfeit $1 million dollars, you'd find the time no matter what.

Waste Not Want Not

People often ask me why they should take the time and effort to build pipelines when things aren't going so bad for them right now.

They say they deserve to relax in the recliner and watch TV after a hard day’s work. Got a few bucks in the bank........ kids are doing good in school........... no need to "rock the boat".

There's no better time to build your pipeline than when things are going good!

A Final Thought

A man was on the 30th floor of a fancy hotel overlooking Central Park in Manhattan. He pulled back the shades........... and threw open the window to enjoy the view. As he leaned out the window, he was startled to see a man falling past his window.

"How you doing?" he asked the falling man.

"Fine so far," came the reply.

The point is, there are lots of bucket carriers in the world that think they are "doing just fine". But they can't stay in the free-fall forever. Sooner or later they'll meet the ground.

For bucket carriers it's................... done or can't show up for work............... no more paycheck!

THE SCHOOL THAT ISSUES CERTIFICATES UPON ADMISSION

I'm sure you like me is wired with the conventional believe that certificates are issued after completing an achievement. I have found one school that defiles that logic. Marriage. I wonder why the certificate is issued at the start.

Marriage is a school where you get the certificate before you start.
A school where you will never graduate.
A school without a break or a free period.
A school where no one is allowed or you can say expected to drop out. 
A school which you will have to attend every day of your life. 
A school where there is no sick leave or holidays. 


A school founded by the Almighty:

1.On the foundation of love, 

2.The walls made of trust,

3.The door made of acceptance, 

4.The windows made of understanding. 

5.The furniture made of blessings. 

6.The roof made of faith. 


Before you forget, you are just a student not the principal. The Almighty is the principal.
Even at times of a storm, don't be unwise and run outside.
Remember this school is the safest place to be. 
Never go to sleep before completing your assignments for the day. 
Never forget the C-word, communicate, communicate, communicate with your classmate and with the Principal.
If you find something in your classmate (spouse) that you do not appreciate, remember your classmate is also just a student not a graduate. The Almighty is not finished with him/her yet, so take it as a challenge and work on it together. 
Do not forget to study, study, study the Bible (the main textbook in this school). 
Start each day with a sacred assembly (Devotion) and end it the same way.
Sometimes you will feel like not attending class, yet you have to.
When tempted to quit find the courage and continue. 
Some tests and exams may be tough but remember the Principal knows how much you can bear. 
Still, it is one of the best schools on earth; joy, peace and happiness accompany each lesson of the day. 
Different subjects are offered in this school, yet love is the major subject. 
After all the years of being theoretical about it, now you have a chance to practice it. 
To be loved is a good thing, but to love is the greatest privilege of them all. 
Marriage is a place of love, so love your spouse but remember: "This class doesn't involve a person who is not permitted into it"! If you invite your mother or father or your friends to this class, or anyone who is not allowed to be there, you will fail the exam. 
It is you who should attend and it is you who will pass. 
Its your choice today:" build it or break it".