Burnt Toast

As evening fell, the story-teller took his seat by the fire and began...

Come my children, large and small

I’ll tell you a tale; it’s a good one for all

Once upon a time, in the Smith household it was dinner time. Mom was shuffling around in the kitchen while Dad read his newspaper and their daughter finished up her homework.

Mom announced that dinner was ready and they all moved to the dining table.

Mom placed a jar of jam and some extremely burnt toast and a pitcher of water on the table without a single word.  The daughter

looked on in astonishment.

She watched to see if her father was going to react or say anything.  Instead he picked up a piece of toast and the jar of jam and spread it on thick as if this was a normal meal, all the while chatting amiably with his daughter. 

He asked about her day, and her studies and her basketball team on which she was the lead guard. 

They ate their fill and near the end of the meal Mom apologized for the burnt toast.

Mr. Smith’s reply was a classic.  “Honey, I love burnt toast.”

Later, when Mr. Smith was tucking his daughter into bed for the night, she asked, “Dad, do you really love burnt toast?”

He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead and whispered, “Your Mother has had a long and tough day.  She is really tired.  Burnt toast doesn’t hurt anyone honey, but harsh words do.” 

Oh my.  This speaks to me on so many levels.  I am a user of words.  My imprint is called Up-Words – offering hope, encouragement and inspiration one word at a time.  

If I spoke to you, my reader, in harsh tones, I would soon have a readership of ZERO. 

However, I choose

   Power words,

      Empowering words,

         Uplifting words,

            Inspiring words,

               Esteem building words.  

May you and I always use those kinds of words in our everyday experiences.

I’m here to help, not to hurt.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

Words of Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

On Becoming Carpenters

Gather round boys and girls, for I want to tell you an important story.

Once upon a time two brothers lived on adjoining farms.  For forty years they were as close as brothers could be.  One sad day they had a falling out with each other that exploded into an exchange of bitter words.  After the words were spoken, there were weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on the elder brother’s door.  When he opened the door he saw a man with a carpenter’s toolbox.  “I’m looking for a few days work” he said.  “Perhaps you have a few small jobs here that I could help you with?”

“Yes,” said the brother.  “I do have a job for you.  See that farm there across the creek?  That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger brother.  Last week there was a meadow between us.  He took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there’s a creek between us. 

“Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better.  See that pile of lumber over by the barn?  I want you to build me a fence that is 8 feet high so I won’t have to look at his place anymore. 

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation.  Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go into town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. 

The carpenter went to work measuring, sawing and nailing. He worked all day long.

As the sun was setting, and he was finishing his project, the older brother returned.  His eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped as he gazed upon the project the carpenter had built. 

There was no fence there as he had requested.  No fence at all, you see.  Instead, there was a bridge stretching

from one side of the creek to the other.  It was a fine piece of work complete with handrails, and solidly built.

Just as the older brother started to approach the bridge, his younger brother started crossing from his side, arms outstretched toward his elder brother. 

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”

The two brothers met in the middle of the bridge, arms around each other, locked in a great bear hug. 

After a moment they broke apart and turned to see the carpenter hoisting his toolbox on his shoulder.

“No wait.  Don’t’ go.  Stay a few days.  I’ve got a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

“I’d love to say on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.”

And away he went.

Do I really need to add more words? 

I think not.  Go build your bridges and cross them.

Up-Words

Words of Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

God's Wife

Gather round boys and girls, for I want to tell you an important story.

Once upon a time a boy of about ten years was standing before a shoe store on Broadway.  He was barefooted and was peering through the window.  It was a cold and blustery day and he shivered as he stood looking in the window.

A lady approached the boy and asked, “My small fellow.  Why are you looking so intently at that store window?”

“I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,” he replied.

The lady took him by the hand and went into the store.  She asked the clerk to gather together half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy.  She then asked for a basin of water and a towel.  The store clerk complied and quickly brought the water and towel to her. 

She took the boy to the back part of the store, and removing her gloves; she knelt down, washed his wee feet and dried them with a towel. 

Just as she finished the store clerk brought the socks to her.  She carefully picked a pair of socks out of the stack and began putting them on the boy’s feet, and then she placed a nice and shiny pair of shoes on his feet.  She asked the store clerk to wrap the remaining socks in a bundle and gave them to the boy.

As she turned to leave, she patted him on the head and said, “No doubt, my young man, you feel more comfortable now?”

The astonished young man took her hand and looked up into her face.  Tears were seeping from his eyes.

He asked “Are you God’s wife?”

You see, in that one simple act she became the hands of God. 

How can you and I become God’s hands and feet to those around us? 

My friend Bruce died two years ago.  His best friend Chuck was asked to deliver a poignant moment about Bruce’s life.  He described him thus:

“Bruce was Jesus with skin on.”

We move in and out of other’s lives every day.  We have opportunities to do some good in this world.  We can become the hands and feet of God in odd moments and seemingly insignificant ways.

May we dare to become the brother, the sister, the man, the woman, and yes, the wife of God.

Up-Words

Words of Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Are You Listening

This is a post as much about making great
choices as it is about listening. This quote starts our thoughts. Now wouldn’t it be a tragedy if we left this earth and never discovered we really were pretty awesome? A tragedy indeed. 

Yes this speaks of potential.
Yes this speaks of possibilities.
And it speaks of the power of choice.

THE POWER OF CHOICE!

That is our greatest power.

Okay, this is a short lesson, so we wrap things up with this insightful Shel Silverstein poem.

Onward.
P Michael Biggs
Up-Words
Offering Hope
Encouragement Inspiration
One Word at a Time

Five Inspiring Posts

My Dear Loyal Reader:
Thank you for following this post so faithfully.  You are appreciated more than my meager words can express.  I am taking a much needed break for the next two weeks.  Please enjoy revisiting these popular posts from the past. 

Michael Biggs

I Saw Love Today

Let's Go Invent Tomorrow

A Broken Spirit

What Handicap

The Past Is Past

Seeing Self

It seems that I write on this subject a lot, and every time these posts generate an above average number of clicks and comments.  And well it should, for this is a critical piece in the continuing development of every human being. 

My friend Jesse is a minister.  His father is a retired minister.  In a phone conversation recently Jesse told me that his father prepares a fresh sermon every week.  When Jesse questioned why, his father replied, “Well, Son, you never know when I may be asked to preach and I want to be ready.”

He saw himself still in the pulpit sharing the good news.  He still holds onto hope that he can bring hope to some weary soul.

Seeing self in the middle of your dream is important.  If you can put yourself into the picture when you visualize your dream, then you are in a better position of making the dream come to life.

I don’t think of myself as one who occasionally has typos when he writes.  I see one who is creative and has a good outflow of material and ideas.  You see, I’m a writer.

What do you see when you think about self?  What are you really?  Where are you?  What are you accomplishing?  What have you accomplished?

I love the picture at the top of this page.  I think this kind of mindset gives one a real hope on which to hold.  Perhaps this lady is living a fantasy life, and that is okay.  If it brings her joy and remembrances of days gone by, then well and good.

I think too many of us have forgotten how to dream.  Even in old age our dreams could extend our years.  Perhaps we have to adapt them in small or large ways to accommodate an aging body, and so we adapt.

And we keep on dreaming and remembering and we hold onto hope.

WE HOLD ONTO HOPE!

Twenty something’s

Forty something’s

Fifty and sixty something’s

And eighty-something’s dream and hope and see a glowing world in their future.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

What Are You Thinking

The caption really says it all for us today.  The mind is such a critical player on our team, and what we feed it and what we allow it to feed us is HUGE in predicting and affecting our outcome.

If I had my life to live all over again, I think I would have pursued sports psychology, for in that field they deal with mind conditioning almost exclusively.

Are you a winner?

Can you reach your high and lofty goal?

Can you do more tomorrow than you did today?

Do you want success more than anything?

Will you learn from your mistakes?

Those are the probes that go on in daily conversation with people who achieve top levels of performance in their chosen field.

I am more focused on writing and being an encourager now more than ever before and I continually ask myself questions along these lines.  I’m always looking for the next great idea about which I can write.

I’m always searching for the next insightful book or article to read that I can turn into words of hope and encouragement. 

Thoughts on being an effective encourager consume a large portion of my thought processes every day. 

I read and reread my words.  I analyze past posts and ask why one performs well another performs average.

I love giving thought to this part of life.

I am retirement age, yet not ready to retire.  I still have enough writing projects and encouragement ideas to last another forty years.

 g 

You see, I’m thinking  about what I might possibly say that would encourage your life. 

What are you thinking?

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time