Stepping Stones

The Lord came to me like a dream one day and asked,

"Why do you sorrow?"
I answered, "Lord, my life is so full of pain,
I can't face one more tomorrow."

The Lord sat down beside me,
and gently took my hand.
He said,
"Let me explain to you and then you'll understand.

Each sorrow is a stepping stone
you must surmount each day,
And every stepping stone you climb
is a sorrow that's passed away.

The road of life is a mountainside,
with crevices in which to be caught,
But as you struggle on your way,
I, the Rock, will lend support.

Every stepping stone you climb,
makes spirit and heart grow strong.
Exercising character and faith
this road seems painful and long.

The way is paved with stepping stones,
to uplift your heart and soul,
Though difficult, they aid your way,
to a City paved with gold.

I know that you are tired,
for I too have walked this way,
My sorrows did they multiply,
but I cleared the stones away.

I left my rock to lift you up,
I left behind my story.
To give you strength to make your climb,
to that special place in glory.

And never fear, the Rock is here,
You'll never climb alone
Surmount life's sorrows, continue on,
For they are but stepping stones.

May peace be in your heart
May love surround you
And may your day be blessed.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), Albanian-born Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, and Nobel laureate. Originally named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, she entered the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland at the age of 18. She trained in Dublin and Darjiling, before taking her religious vows in 1937. While serving as principal of a Roman Catholic high school in Calcutta (now Kolkata), she was moved by the presence of the sick and dying on the city's streets. In 1948 she was granted permission to leave her post at the convent and begin a ministry among the sick.

In 1950 Mother Teresa and her associates were approved within the archdiocese of Calcutta as the Missionaries of Charity. Later the order was recognized as a pontifical congregation under the jurisdiction of Rome. Members of the congregation take four vows on acceptance by the religious community. Required in addition to the three basic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience is a fourth vow pledging service to the poor, whom Mother Teresa described as the embodiment of Christ.

In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday (“Pure Heart”) Home for Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. Subsequently she extended her work to five continents. In recognition of her efforts she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was forced to scale down her activities in 1990 because of declining health, though she continued to work and travel, most notably in 1991 when she undertook a tour of her missions worldwide. Her increasing frailty became apparent when she resigned from running the Missionaries of Charity in March 1997, and she died on September 5 of that year. Mother Teresa's book, A Simple Path, was published in 1995.


Mother Teresa's Life time line

1910 Born Aug. 27 as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Yugoslavia, what is now Macedonia. Her father is an Albanian builder. She's the youngest of three children.
1928 Joined a religious order and took the name Teresa. She came to India and taught at a convent school in Calcutta, in state of west bangal.
1937 Took her final vows
1948 Left the convent to work alone in the slums. She received medical training and education in Paris.
1950 Became citizen of India. The Missionaries of charity started.
1952 House for the dying opened
1957 The Missionaries of Charity started work with lepers and in many disaster areas of the world.
1962 Wins her first prize for her humanitarian work: the Padma Shri award for "distinguished service." Over the years she uses the money from such prizes to found dozens of new homes
1971 Pope Paul VI honors Mother Teresa by awarding her the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize.
1979 Received Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the poor.
1993 Breaks three ribs in fall in Rome in May; hospitalized for malaria in August in New Delhi; undergoes surgery to clear blocked blood vessel in Calcutta in September.
1997 Died on 5th September in Calcutta, India.

The Gift of a Real Friend

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,
and one of the best things you can be.
A friend is a living treasure,
and if you have one, you have one of
the most valuable gifts in life.

A friend is the one who will always be beside you,
through all the laughter,
and through each and every tear.
A friend is the one thing you can always rely on;
the someone you can always open up to;
the one wonderful person who always believes
in you in a way that no one else seems to.
A friend is a sanctuary.
A friend is a smile.

A friend is a hand that is always holding yours,
no matter where you are,
no matter how close or far apart you may be.
A friend is someone who is always there
and will always, always care.
A friend is a feeling of forever in the heart.

A friend is the one door that is always open.
A friend is the one to whom you can give your key.
A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,
and one of the best things you can be

by

~ Collin McCarthy ~

Posted by

Robin