"I Believe in You!"

A message of hope, stories from the road

By Bob Perks

Hello, my friend!?  I do hope you are well!?  This is your Monday Morning message arriving early.

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Bob and Marianne

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Perks Pearl of Wisdom

"A? full life? uses things and loves people.?  The empty life uses people and loves things."?  Bob Perks

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Today??™s Message ?© Bob Perks 2005

"A tree still stands"
By Bob Perks

"Look at that magnificent miracle!" he said to me.

I looked around and could see nothing out of the ordinary.

"Which miracle are you speaking about?" I asked him.

"That tree, this one and all of those over there," he replied.

"Oh, yes, they are miracles.?  But I see the miracle in all things."

He then went on to share his extensive knowledge about trees.?  It was much more than I ever wanted to know.

"To grow a pound of wood, a tree uses 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide and gives off 1.07 pounds of oxygen.?  About one-third of the United States is covered by forests. That's 747 million acres of forest land!" he said proudly.

"You know a lot about trees," I said.?  "Did you work in the industry?"
"No.?  I walked in the forest," he said smiling.?  "My Dad always took the family to the state parks where I lived.?  I learned most of all I know from attending programs there.?  But I do find them miraculous."

"I can appreciate all those facts you shared with me, but I believe there is an even greater miracle here," I said.

"What's that?" he asked.
"A tree still stands," I said to him.
"I don't get it."

"Think about the life of an average tree.?  Imagine for a moment all that it has been through.?  Storms, hail, winds strong enough to knock it over, heat waves, flooding, dry, parched summers, insects, and people to name a few.?  But a tree still stands," I said.

He paused for a moment then added, "The single, oldest living thing on Earth is a tree, a 4,700 year old bristlecone pine tree in Nevada. It was growing when the Egyptians built the pyramids."

"And yet humans, who were created far more superior, often crumble to the ground under the weight of everyday stress.?  Stress often times self inflicted.?  We have the ability to move away from danger.?  We have the intelligence to face a problem and solve it and yet, we often don't have enough sense to come out of the rain," I said with a smile.

Just then a young child came running into the park.? 
"Mommy, lift me up!?  Please?" she begged.
Bending down to pick up the child she turned toward where we were sitting.
"It is her favorite place to be," she said.? 

We both acknowledged her comment.
Then following just below the nearest branches, she said to the child, "Now you need not go far.?  Heaven isn't that far away."

"I remember, Mommy," the young girl said.
I loved that thought so much I had to ask her about it.?  I stood up and walked toward where she was standing.
"I loved that idea,"
"What idea?"

"That you need not go far.?  Heaven isn't that far away," I repeated to her.
"Oh, that," she said then hesitated a moment before continuing.?  "Her Daddy died last year.?  They always came here to this park and in particular to this tree."

She was a bit unsettled as she shifted her stand back and forth nervously for a moment.

"My husband knew he was dying so he laid the foundation for his passing by talking to her about it.?  He always told her that he was going to heaven.?  She wanted to know where that was."

She stopped. I stood there patiently waiting for her to continue.?  I realized how difficult it was for her to speak about this.

"He would lift her up into this tree and say, "You need not go far.?  Heaven isn't that far away."?  Then he'd say, "Can you see it?" My daughter would struggle looking around and finally say, "Yes, Daddy, I can!"

"Looking up at her he would reply, "So can I."
I shared my sympathy with her and went back over to my friend.
"What did she say?" he asked.
"She explained why trees last so long," I said.
"She did? Why?"

Choking a bit on the emotion of it all, I said, "A tree...still stands...so we can get a better view of heaven."

"I Believe in You!"

Bob Perks

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Your Comments:?  If you would like to share a few

? words about today's message, please write to:

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RE: "I'm still being purged"

? Dear Bob,

I cannot tell you how much your writing about this subject has? meant

to me. Over the years, I too came to realise that God had? many things

to purge me of, and although I didn't? want to receive? everything, He

helped me each step of the way and is still doing so.?  You write about the purging not being complete and I, once again, have to agree.? ?  I saw a

bumper sticker on the back of a car once, and it read... "Please be patient,

God hasn't finished with me yet," and never has the truth been put so

poignantly, albeit on a bumper sticker. God bless you both you and

Marianne and thank you for your openness and honesty which makes

you a 'human' part of our lives. Val b.

We certainly are human, Bob,? and make stupid mistakes we later regret.....little eyes that see our mistakes, well, we can only? pray they? won't follow our poor examples.....good to? be straight with them about our errors in life.?  Thank God he convicts us and makes us deal with them.....and the sooner the better.?  This is where having a close friend we are accountable to, is a good thing.? ? Bless you for being so open and honest with us all. I was cleaning out my closet one day and found a leather coat I? had bought years ago that I knew was 'hot'......it was long ago and so out of fashion, and now is either in a? thrift store or? garbage now....you know I think I wore it once or twice only, but the memory is very vivid of my mistake.?  What not to do, eh!?  God bless you and yours. Luv, Sheila

Dear Bob and Marianne

? I always look forward to your stories because they come from your heart and they are honest.

In the theatre when a show is under construction certain parts take more time then anticipated.

We call that "work in progress" for short w.i.p.

We all are a w.i.p. and I thank the Lord? we are,? because it fills me with hope that someday by His Grace

I will be a finished work. And so will you dear Bob and Marianne. After all we are

created in His Image and Likenes and He is the most beautiful One there is.

There is so much to look forward to.

Blessings?  Johanna w.i.p.

Hi Bob,? ?  Proverbs 26:12 says, "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

God purges only those he loves, his children.? ? WE are all human and no one is perfect but him.?  WE are all works in progress and we will not be finished until we take our last breath.? ? We are so blessed to have your share you life and experiences with us.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

Thank you my friend,

Helen O.

Bob,

You have encouraged my heart may God bless you richly.

? Kind Regards

? Lilian

So thank you Bob ??“ for being honest. You??™re no less of a man for being human; we??™ve all done silly things for no real reason at times in our lives. But the great thing is that you recognise your ???failings??™ and act upon them. That??™s what makes a real man!?  God bless you, Pauline (UK)

Dear Bob

I used to have a wall hanging saying--Please be patient--God isn't finished with me yet.?  Are we lucky He never gives up on us and calls it finished??  Have a good day purging--nadine

Bob,?  Don't we all remember something that we did long ago in our past, that when we relive it feel horrible that it was done??  Don't we all, at one time or another, say something and immediately wish we could take the words back??  Don't we all have that ever so loving, forgiving? FATHER who takes our sins away no matter how severe or trivial they are??  Don't we all love? YOU no matter what?....All ways......Always.?  You did a great thing trying to make things right, but, you know....I bet they were right, already!!

I BELIEVE IN YOU!!

Gail

Massachusetts

Bob, I have long enjoyed your writings, and in fact often share them with family and friends, and needless to say, have been blessed countless of times.?  So anyway, I wanted to share the following with you.

Bob, I have been dismayed because I haven't seen any American memorial poems or pages for the British victims of the suicide bombing, so with the help of two of my friends, here is our memorial to the British victims......

http://www.plantinghisseeds.net/poems/forourbritishfriends.htm

http://www.plantinghisseeds.net/poems/londoncries.htm

? Blessings to you and Marianne

?  Rick

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