Quote from Forum Archives on May 26, 2006, 11:30 am

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

"Golden Footprints"

 

 

Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Sarah who lived in
the village below the Mountain of the Golden Footprints.

 

She was feeling very sad and depressed.  Nothing or no one could make
her happy.  She had been very unhappy and depressed for a long time. 
What is the use of going on, she asked?  Nothing anyone said seemed
to make a difference.

 

Her best friend went to visit Sarah and told her the story of the
Mountain of the Golden Footprints.  It is a special place whereas the
sun sets you can look out over the city and see sparkling golden
footprints on the places and people where you have made a
difference.  But I haven't made any difference in anyone's life, she
said.  There won't be any golden footprints for me to see.  So why
should I bother to go here?

 

But, said her friend, If you don't see any golden footprints, there
is a special village on the other side of the mountain.  That is a
place for all those people who haven't made a difference.  It is
comfortable and very pretty and there you can be happy.  So you see,
you have other options besides not going on with your life.  If you
went to the village on the other side of the mountain, I
would miss you, but it would be better than your not being alive. 
You have nothing to lose.

 

So Sarah decided to give it a try.  After all, she only wanted to do
something.  She could not go on the way she was.  Besides, although
she was sure she would not see any golden footprints, she had a
little glimmer of hope that going there would make a difference in
her life.  The village on the other side of the mountain also sounded
like it could be a place where she could be happy.

 

She walked up the path to the top of the Mountain of the Golden
Footprints. It was a long walk and sometimes very difficult, but she
had made the decision to go to the top and continued on, although
sometimes she just wanted to stop climbing and curl up and cease to
exist.  She reached to top and came to the
lookout point.  She was greeted by a woman called Faith who watched
over the Mountain of the Golden Footprints.

 

Sarah sat on a rock at the top of the mountain and looked out over
her village far below.  Although the sun was not setting yet, she
felt inside as though she were looking out over her life.  She could
see her house and the house of her friend, the house of her parents,
her school, and many places from her childhood.  She remembered many
things as she looked out over these places, some sad and
some happy.  And as she was thinking about her life, the sun began to
set. She did not really pay any attention since she did not expect to
see any golden footprints.  But soon a golden twinkling light began
to appear in the park in the middle of the village.  She did not
still believe it could possibly be a Golden Footprint.  Look, Faith
said excitedly, There is your first Golden Footprint!"

 

But how could that be, asked Sarah?  I don't ever remember anything I
did in the park that could have possibly made a difference.

 

That is my department, answered Faith.  I have watched people make
Golden Footprints from this mountain top for many years.  I remember
all the Golden Footprints happenings.
One day a long time ago, when you were a little child, you went
laughing through the park.  There was a man sitting there who had
just left his wife and child over a silly argument.  He heard your
laughter and missed his child so much that he returned to this family
and lived with them happily ever after.

 

Well, that was kind of accidental.  I certainly didn't know I had
done that, said Sarah.  As she finished speaking, another golden
sparkling footprint appeared on the house of her friend.  Well, you
have loved your friend very much.  Remember when she was very sick? 
You went to see her and brought her flowers and stayed with her and
talked many hours and you held her hand.  If you had not done that,
she would not have survived.

 

But how could that be, asked Sarah?  I'm not a doctor.  I do not give
medicine. How could I have saved her life?  The doctor gave her good
medicine, but you gave her hope.  You gave her strength and courage,
so that her body could make the medicine work.

 

And as she finished speaking, the valley below was aglow with Golden
Footprints.  There was one on the school where her smile and love for
learning had inspired a fellow student to stay in school and become a
great philosopher.  There was one over a tree that she had planted in
the yard of her house, and one over the flowers that she had
planted.  There was one over the place where her
stubbornness had convinced the King that the village needed a
smoother road for travelers, and he had smiled at her outspokenness
and feisty nature.

 

There was a footprint right on top of the roof of her house.  That
was where she had taken her children one night to watch the stars. 
There was one over the pub in the village.  There was where she had
met her husband and where they had fallen in love.

 

I had forgotten all those things, said Sarah.  I was so depressed
that I only remembered the sad things and not the good things.  I
guess I have made a difference.  And you will in the future said
Faith.  There are stars to show your grandchildren and a birthday to
spare with your friend.  And your husband needs a romantic evening at
the pub.

 

Sarah sat for a long time until the sun had set and the Golden
Footprints disappeared and the lights of the village were lit in the
streets and homes below and flickered, not as Golden Footprints, but
as tiny footprints of fireflies. Soon Sarah would start the climb
down the mountain, guided by the tiny lights below.

 

Sarah smiled and thanked Faith.  She started on her way down the
mountain and knew that someday she would tell others about the
Mountain of the Golden Footprints and make a difference in their
lives too.

 

Always remember you DO make a difference to many people whose lives you touch every single day including me.

Author Unknown

 

 

"Have An Awesome Day"

 

 

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.

 

Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have,
the longer you live.

 

How long a minute is depends
on what side of the bathroom
door you're on.

 

Ever notice that the people who
are late are often much jollier
than the people who have to
wait for them?

 

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't
more people happy?

 

Most of us go to our grave with
our music still inside of us.

 

If Walmart is lowering prices
every day, how come nothing
is free yet?

 

You may be only one person
in the world, but you may also
be the world to one person.

 

Some mistakes are too much
fun to only make once.

 

Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.

 

We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp,
some are pretty,
some are dull,
some have weird names,
and all are different colors....
but they all have to learn to live
in the same box.

 

Everything should be made as
simple as possible,
but no simpler.

 

A truly happy person is one
who can enjoy the scenery
on a detour.

 

Happiness comes through
doors you didn't even know
you left open.

 

Have an awesome day,
and know that someone
has thought about you today!
Author Unknown

 

Have a Blessed Weekend
Dave and Barbara

 

 

Necessary Legal Information

 

We do not mail idea-central  unsolicited. If you are receiving this newsletter from us it's because you have subscribed to this mailing list. If you receive this newsletter and are not a subscriber then someone, other than us, has forwarded it to you.

 

Normal Subscribe: idea-central-subscribe@welovegod.org
Normal Unsubscribe: idea-central-unsubscribe@welovegod.org
 
Web Subscribe: idea-central-allow-subscribe@welovegod.org
Web Unsubscribe: idea-central-allow-unsubscribe@welovegod.org
 
Email Group Owner: idea-central-owner@associate.com

 

 

 

 

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: idea-central-unsubscribe@associate.com