Midweek Meditation: "Prayer of Abundance"

This is a meaningful prayer about how we ought to save, to spend, to give, and to live with a conscience. Taken from Mark and Lisa Scandrette's book, "FREE: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most."

I know that I am cared for by an Abundant Provider. 
     I choose to be grateful and trusting. 
I believe I have enough and that what I need 
     will always be provided. 
I choose to be content and generous. 
     I know that my choices matter for myself, for others 
           and for future generations. 
Help me to live consciously and creatively, celebrating 
     signs of your new creation that is present and coming. 
Creator, who made me to seek the greater good of your 
     kingdom, 
Guide me to use my time, talents and resources 
     to pursue what matters most. 
Teach me to be free, 
     to live without worry, fear or greed in the freedom of your 
     abundance. 
Give me my daily bread, as I share with those in need. 
     Thank you for this precious gift of life!1 
Amen and amen. 

conrade

"The Other Letter"

With Christmas approaching, many people will be busy shopping once again. In a twist to the holiday spirit of buying and accumulating, children were asked to write two letters. The first was a conventional one to Santa Claus or the Three Wise Men for a gift. The second was to parents. This is a powerful wakeup call to parents.Watch the powerful Ikea video here.





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Touching Short Film: Giving Without Expecting Returns

Of late, the Thais have been doing incredible short commercials that touch the human heart. With a gripping story as a lead, the commercial usually teaches a message meaningful for life. In this commercial, we notice the power of giving lies not in protecting one's assets but in encouraging investments in others, especially young lives. For one never knows what will happen in the future. Best of all, giving without expecting anything in return is probably one of the best demonstrations of love in action. For Christians, we are not exactly giving without expecting anything in return. We have already received the abundant blessings and promises in Christ. When Christians give, we give in earnest hope that what we do will please God more.

Watch this commercial here or click below.



conrade

The Amazing Story of Chuck Fenney

Many of us have heard of the philanthropy of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The former is a technological billionaire while the latter is a financial tycoon. Both have one thing in common. They are now in an ongoing campaign to give away as much of their wealth as possible to the needy. Ever wonder who inspired the two of them? The answer: Charles F. Fenney. At 82 years old, Fenney has given away a bulk of his fortune, supposedly around $7.5 billion, earned from being a co-founder of the DFS empire. Very few people on earth can have that much money. More than that. In a world where investors are all looking for opportunities to make money from, Fenney looks for worthwhile opportunities to give. Forbes magazine calls Fenney as "The Billionaire Who is Trying to Go Broke." 

Unlike Gates and Buffett, Fenney actively avoids the spotlight, keeping his giving in secret. In a world where people like to get something back when they give, Fenney bucks the trend, observing the biblical way of giving in secret, and without expecting anything in return. Educational institutions, hospitals, and charity organizations have reported receiving millions of dollars from him, anonymously. He is a major donor to Cornell University, his alma mater, the beneficiary of nearly $1billion. In fact, Fenney has been in the business of giving away his money for more than 30 years already, after setting aside some amount for his family as a dutiful father and husband. He is planning to shut down Atlantic Philantropies by 2020, once all his wealth has been given away.

Recently, reports have surfaced that Fenney's wealth is only about $2 million. It was even said that he does not own a house or a car.  Is that true that Fenney will die broke? No. I think he will die rich, far wealthier than all the money that he ever had. What he has done is priceless.

Inspiring!

Estimated as of 2012

Here is a brief video of his life.



Here is a longer documentary on him here.




conrade

"A Cup of Coffee on the Wall" Story

I received this lovely story in my Inbox today and thought I can share it with you my readers, as we prepare for Christmas Eve and Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas is not simply about giving. It is about living in a way that reflects loving our neighbour as ourselves. In our society, it means serving one another.

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A CUP OF COFFEE ON THE WALL
I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, the city of lights and water. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat on an empty table beside us.

He called the waiter and placed his order saying, Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall. We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, "A Cup of Coffee."

"A Cup of Coffee"

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, "A Cup of Coffee."

It seemed that this gesture was a norm at this place. However, it was something unique and perplexing for us. Since we had nothing to do with the matter, we finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we again had a chance to go to this coffee shop. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man entered. The way this man was dressed did not match the standard nor the atmosphere of this coffee shop.

Poverty was evident from the looks on his face. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, one cup of coffee from the wall. The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity.

The man had his coffee and left without paying. We were amazed to watch all this when the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin. Now it was no surprise for us the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town welled up our eyes with tears.

Coffee is not a need of our society neither a necessity of life for us. The point to note is that when we take pleasure in any blessing, maybe we also need to think about those people who appreciate that specific blessing as much as we do but they cannot afford to have it.

Note the character of this waiter, who is playing a consistent and generous role to get the communication going between the affording and the needy with a smile on his face.
Ponder upon this man in need. He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

conrade

BookPastor >> "The Search for God and Guinness"

This review was first published on 9 June 2012 here.

conrade

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TITLE: The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World
AUTHOR: Stephen Mansfield
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Thomas-Nelson, 2009, (276 pages).

Do you know....

• That the water used for the world famous Guinness stout beer comes not from the Liffey River in Dublin, but from the mountains of Wicklow, south of Dublin?
• That Arthur Guinness started the first Sunday School in Ireland?
• That Guinness Stout is also a health beverage?
• That workers at Guinness receive some of the best wages in the world, and benefits extend generously to their dependents as well?
• That Guinness has strong Protestant roots and still thrives in a largely Roman Catholic land?
• That Guinness is a household name in Ireland?
• ....

He has written about the two most powerful persons in the world (George W Bush and Barack Obama), a top religious figure (Pope Benedict XVI), as well as the extraordinary men in history like Winston Churchill and George Whitefield. He has also written about healing from Church hurts. Now, Mansfield continues his journey through one of the most recognized icons in the beer industry: Guinness Stout.