STORY - PUSHUPS FOR DONUTS

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending school in Utah.In this school Seminary classes are held during school hours. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. 

He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's Seminary class.

Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"

Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" Again asked Brother Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do
it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said. Steve said, "Well... I think I
can... yeah, I can do it."

Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother
Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts.

Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream
centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited - it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.

Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk.

Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.
And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their
donut.

And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"

Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY!
I said I didn't want one!"

Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"
Jenny said, "No."

Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve,would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row.

During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
 
Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You can do them any way that you want."

And Bro. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on.
Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Bro. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."

Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you
want a donut?"

"Yes."

"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's
arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson , can I help him?"

Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and
said.

"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

STORY - Everyone Was Warned Not to Touch Him – But This Guy Did

Everyone Was Warned Not to Touch Him – But This Guy Did

Yvonne Holterman | January 13, 2015

Original online story can be found here.

Man picks this cat up off the ground and tries to carry him home. Then something heartbreaking happens…
(grab a tissue, this may make your heart melt.)

Everyone in the apartment complex where I lived knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident Tomcat.

Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting eating, garbage, and shall we say love. The combination of these things combined with the life spend outside had their effect on Ugly.
To start with, he only had one eye, and where the other should of been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the other side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time. and he healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long since been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby striped- type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs.

Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. “That’s one Ugly cat!!”

All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come close to their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave.

Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there getting soaked until you gave up and quit. if you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied children, he would come running meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, or whatever he could find.

One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbors huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment I could hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly’s sad life was almost at an end.
Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him whizzing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. I must be hurting him terribly I thought.

Then I felt a familiar tugging and suckling sensation on my ear – Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously trying to suckling my ear. I pulled him closer to me and he bump the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled-scared cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion.

At that moment I though Ugly was the beautiful, loving creature I have ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion of what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me about more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk shows special ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I care for.
Many people want to be richer, more successful, well like, beautiful,  but for me, I will always try to be Ugly!

this story touched me...and thats why i wanted to post it to my blog.

 

yesterday, i was with a church companion, and we visited another sister in my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints AKA: Mormon).

we have a program where we have a set of female congregational members, assigned to every other female, so ever female has someone come by at least once a month (or writes, or prays for them) to make sure they are ok, and we share a message.

 

so, the message was about the Attributes of Jesus Christ. (that message can be found here )

and one point marcia (my companion) had brought up was what the difference of PURITY and PERFECTION was.

i only reference that in this..as theres a part in the story where the author talks about purity.

i digress, my point for blogging this story, was because i have said for a long time, that all anyone (anything, really) wants is to be loved.

thats it.

loved with a purity, no restrictions, no demands, no limits, no reasons..just. plain. loved.

no matter what wrong, we have done, we know that person still loves us.

thats what we want.

animals, i feel, have emotion, ive said this for years, and i think are very much like us..they want to be loved.

no matter how mean we are, a dog will still..wag its tail when it sees us..for the love. a cat, will usually pur when we pet it, and they are filled with an attitude, most of the time, lol

this story, reminded me, on some level, were all broken, and hurting, or at least seeking a higher love than ourselves. 

i know im broken, have been for a long time, its taken me years to find the right glue" to patch my broken heart.

and i wear it on my sleeve.

i am effected by my past. 

its always there, in my face, and all i wanted was the love from a mother.

i never had a dad to get it from, so my only option was my mom. and she lacked (to me anyway) in the loving department...she was a rpvider, a good one, cant fault that..but she didnt show me love.

its taken me almost 50 years to realize, she never loved herself, enough to give to me.

we have to won it first before we can share it with others. and thats often (in my case anyway) a long hard deep hurting road we walk.

how often do we really appreciate the love someone else shows us in return if we do get it? or are we suspicious of its reasons?

i try to love ppl with the same love i have for my son..

if i say i love you, thats because i really do.

i feel a deep bond, and will think of that person all the time, in different ways and situations.

im an admin for a group on facebook with nearly 4K ppl in it (to date) and i think of my admins, almost the entire time im away from the group. wondering if they are struggling, having issues with members, are they frustrated? angry? upset at another member? 

most of the time, they are fine...

but i worry, because i dont want them to suffer any more pain and issue than they should.

i think of friends, all the time, even ones from my days in Bethesda MD). i wonder how they are, if lifes treating them ok. are they hurting. and if so, i pray they come through it without scars.

i think of my best friend, sandy..shes like a sister to me, and altho she makes some pretty crappy choices, it doesnt warrant me to let her go, and dump her. i cant save her, but i can always love her...and i want desperately for her to see her value within herself...but thats a struggle she has to face within her own person. i can always be there when shes ready..but i cant hand those precious keys over.i dont own hers...i only own mine.

i think of former co-workers, and ppl i pass on the street and simply say hello to. 

i try to love everyone.

im not gonna lie, some ppl are harder to love...that makes the challenge of acting in purity its finest.

without the  conflict, theres never growth.

you have to have  strife, to grow...

 

a seed PUSHES through the dirt to pop its blossom out...

a child, is SQUEEZED by muscles and organs and thrust into the world at birth.

we can not...become better if we are never challenged.

we HAVE to suffer something to appreciate the difference from where we were to where we end up.

in the end, what we do effects other. and we have a deeper love (if it was goodness we shared) towards them, which lends itself to a purity in love.

im this sad kitten, broken, hurt, longing, for someone to just scoop me up and love me. (mainly my mom, who sadly isnt here any longer, doesnt take away the fact i ach for that love from her)

i see it more and more every day..ppl in my life willing to cry with me, over things i have emotions for, ppl who share sentiments with me on facebook, because it makes them think of me, ppl who go out and get me things because i like them..

i am loved.

and i can see it now, more and more.

what i lack in my mothers aection, is given to me in sprinkles with others around me.

i am NOT forgotten...

(im gonna go religious here, forgive me if its not your thing)
 

God has NEVER stopped loving me. EVER, no matter what i have done, or what condition i am in, or how i look, or the way i behave..HE STILL loves me.

and i believe, has these other ppl in my life to fill the void...

it will never fill it comepltely, but it sure does help to remember that because i am who i am, Hes always going to provide, even when to me it seems completely hopeless.

the pain and loss of my mom may never ever go away, but it is being healed. day by day.

that love, helps me to be a better person...that love helps me to grow.

if you see someone struggling, whats your reaction? do you walk by and  hope you forget them? or do you stop, and extend a hand...

are you everyone else? or are you the guy who helped "Ugly" the cat? 

because some of us are  "Ugly" and all we need is compassion...

some of us only want to be...loved.

Michelle