Give A Penny, Get A Penny
Give A Penny, Get A Penny
Most gas stations in the South have little change dishes by the register. If you’re paying for a transaction and need an extra penny or two, you simply take one from the dish. People then reciprocate this good turn by dropping a few coins in the dish from time to time, thereby creating a community bank of sorts, based on goodwill.
So in that spirit, this is Southern Plate’s “Give A Penny, Get A Penny” page.” I dearly love positive quotes and am always scouring the web for more so I thought this would be a great place to compile all of those. I’ll post mine, you post yours, and we can all “Give A Penny” when we have one and come back to “Get A Penny” when we need one.
I’ll also draw from these quotes to include at the bottom of my posts and emails that I send out to Southern Plate readers and be sure to credit the person who provided it, so include a link to your blog if you have one.
I would consider it a personal favor if you’d take the time to share a quote of motivation or positivity in the comments section below. Quote yourself, your Mama, someone famous, or our best friend “Anonymous”, it doesn’t matter, long as you drop your penny and then come back on one of those days when you feel like you might need one yourself.
Gratefully,
Christy
Trust your own inner guidance.
Have faith that your steps are
carrying you toward your dreams.
Keep your eyes on the heavens
and believe that your feet will carry you well.
– Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Christy, this is long but so inspiring. I do not know the author but it sure worth reading with a great message.
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, “Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.” Then the second tree said, “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”
Finally the third tree said, “I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.”
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, “This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter”, and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree the woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, “I don’t need anything special from my tree, I’ll take this one”, and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said “Peace” and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. I hope more people will be inspired by God on The Way. May your day be blessed. And may God cradle you in the palm of His hand
Just wonderful
I’ve dealt with some painful events and situations in my life. I think these have helped me put a lot of daily annoyances in their proper (tiny) perspective. When someone apologizes to me for some minor inconvenience, I tell them, “I have a Standard Philosophy of Life: If that is the worst thing that happens to me all day today, it will be a beautiful day!” This never fails to bring a smile to my own face, and I usually get one in return, too!
Look for the worst in people and you are never disappointed, but look for the good in people and you will always be pleasantly surprised. This is my philosophy and its surprising how many good folks I meet.
“The life above, when this is past,
Is the ripe fruit of life below.
Sow love, and taste its fruitage pure;
Sow peace, and reap its harvest bright;
Sow sunbeams on the rock and moor,
And find a harvest-home of light.” – – Horatius Bonar
“Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.”
– – Alexander Maclaren
Worry is like a rocking chair;
it will give you something to do,
but it won’t get you anywhere.
I’m so glad that I live in a world where there are Octobers—–Anne of Green Gables