A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said.
"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or wait for the brick!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
PIES 2-6Mac: Scientists find fossil of Devil Toad
A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armour and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago. It was intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad.
But its size – 4.54kg and 40.64cm long – is not the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature’s bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography.
The discovery, led by paleontologist David Krause at New York’s Stony Brook University. “This frog, if it has the same habits as its living relatives in South America, was quite voracious,’ Krause said. “It’s even conceivable that it could have taken down some hatchling dinosaurs.”
Krause began finding fragments of abnormally large frog bones in Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, in 1993. But only recently did Krause’s team assemble enough frog bones to piece together what the creature would look like, and weighed.
The largest living frog, the Goliath frog of West Africa, can reach 3.18kg
(Adapted From The Star)
WORD LIST
1. fossil
2. toad
3. curiosity
4. assumptions
5. ancient
6. conceivable
7. hatchling
8. fragments
9. abnormally
10. recently
11. assemble
12. creature
ENRICHMENT LIST
1. armour
2. intimidating
3. unearthed
4. dubbed
5. voracious
But its size – 4.54kg and 40.64cm long – is not the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature’s bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography.
The discovery, led by paleontologist David Krause at New York’s Stony Brook University. “This frog, if it has the same habits as its living relatives in South America, was quite voracious,’ Krause said. “It’s even conceivable that it could have taken down some hatchling dinosaurs.”
Krause began finding fragments of abnormally large frog bones in Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, in 1993. But only recently did Krause’s team assemble enough frog bones to piece together what the creature would look like, and weighed.
The largest living frog, the Goliath frog of West Africa, can reach 3.18kg
(Adapted From The Star)
WORD LIST
1. fossil
2. toad
3. curiosity
4. assumptions
5. ancient
6. conceivable
7. hatchling
8. fragments
9. abnormally
10. recently
11. assemble
12. creature
ENRICHMENT LIST
1. armour
2. intimidating
3. unearthed
4. dubbed
5. voracious
Yes DEAR: 2 - 6 Mac 2009 - No shortcuts to study
Childhood is fun, and who knows it better than children themselves. Day time is play time, night time is play time……every time is play time.
And so was Ramesh, a happy go lucky boy. He loved to aim the marble and win the game, do the hopscotch till he was out of breadth and play till it sundown. Ramesh was not much trouble to his parents as he helped in the house chores and did his bit even though he was only 10.
But there was only one drawback, Ramesh disliked studying. Holding a book was like being possessed by a demon for him. He hated the very look of a book, so be it writing or reading, Ramesh ran far away as he could from it.
Night and day, he would just play inside and outside; the world was a playground for him along with his favourite buddy Siraj. He would always welcome Siraj to his home and the two would play together. Ramesh’s mother liked Siraj and treated him as her own son. But Siraj’s mother did not like Ramesh as her son was a studious boy who loved to study. She feared he would act like Ramesh and reflect a lethargic attitude towards studying.
Ramesh sensed the same and so would seldom go to Siraj’s house. He too was a bit jealous of his best friend as he always won praises while he had to settle for less than a pat on his back. But even though he tried he was not able to seed the study plant into his thick brains.
But Ramesh’s mother had no biasness towards Siraj. She would even help him financially with book purchases, guide materials and study tools. Hence Siraj always kept by Ramesh even though he was not of his wavelength.
And so the tale of two friends grew stronger. They were known in school and in the neighbourhood as thick pals. Always there for each other, in good times and bad.
One exam day, as Ramesh was struggling to answer the paper, Siraj was smoothly flowing ink with lengthy words. He had prepared for the tests unlike Ramesh. When Ramesh’s could not think of any answer to pen down he thought he would ask Siraj for some help.
Siraj did not think twice in giving his paper but to his bad luck the teacher caught the two and threatened to take them to the principal. Instantly Siraj said that he was suffering from a high fever the previous night and Ramesh was nursing him, and in the bargain had no time to study.
Ramesh was taken aback with the Siraj’s love and went red in the cheeks. He was embarrassed to know that his best friend loved him so much and he so little. He apologised to the teacher acknowledging his mistake. And from that day on, he vowed to take interest in studies and be a better student.
Moral: One can skip food and water. But if one skips studying regularly the future is empty.
And so was Ramesh, a happy go lucky boy. He loved to aim the marble and win the game, do the hopscotch till he was out of breadth and play till it sundown. Ramesh was not much trouble to his parents as he helped in the house chores and did his bit even though he was only 10.
But there was only one drawback, Ramesh disliked studying. Holding a book was like being possessed by a demon for him. He hated the very look of a book, so be it writing or reading, Ramesh ran far away as he could from it.
Night and day, he would just play inside and outside; the world was a playground for him along with his favourite buddy Siraj. He would always welcome Siraj to his home and the two would play together. Ramesh’s mother liked Siraj and treated him as her own son. But Siraj’s mother did not like Ramesh as her son was a studious boy who loved to study. She feared he would act like Ramesh and reflect a lethargic attitude towards studying.
Ramesh sensed the same and so would seldom go to Siraj’s house. He too was a bit jealous of his best friend as he always won praises while he had to settle for less than a pat on his back. But even though he tried he was not able to seed the study plant into his thick brains.
But Ramesh’s mother had no biasness towards Siraj. She would even help him financially with book purchases, guide materials and study tools. Hence Siraj always kept by Ramesh even though he was not of his wavelength.
And so the tale of two friends grew stronger. They were known in school and in the neighbourhood as thick pals. Always there for each other, in good times and bad.
One exam day, as Ramesh was struggling to answer the paper, Siraj was smoothly flowing ink with lengthy words. He had prepared for the tests unlike Ramesh. When Ramesh’s could not think of any answer to pen down he thought he would ask Siraj for some help.
Siraj did not think twice in giving his paper but to his bad luck the teacher caught the two and threatened to take them to the principal. Instantly Siraj said that he was suffering from a high fever the previous night and Ramesh was nursing him, and in the bargain had no time to study.
Ramesh was taken aback with the Siraj’s love and went red in the cheeks. He was embarrassed to know that his best friend loved him so much and he so little. He apologised to the teacher acknowledging his mistake. And from that day on, he vowed to take interest in studies and be a better student.
Moral: One can skip food and water. But if one skips studying regularly the future is empty.
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